Loser Uchiha
by Kangaimaru
Summary: Uchiha Obito has just graduated from the Konoha Ninja Academy. Follow his story from his graduation to his death! Please R&R. Currently Ch11: With Arashi nowhere in site, Team 5 makes its desperate escape from Kawashuuryou, the River's End.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, nor do I have anything to do with its creation or its characters (though, honestly, I wish I did; don't we all?). If I did, do you really think I'd be writing this?**

** First of all, _yes_, I realize this story has been written before, and _yes_, it was me who wrote it last time. At some point, I lost inspiration and abandoned and deleted it. I changed my alias because I thought it was long and confusing, and I like this much better. I have a much better understanding of the Naruto world now, so I can be a lot more accurate on certain things I'd rather not point out about the old version of this fic. Also, I hope my writing's become better.**

** And... Enjoy!**

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**Prologue**

The gentle touch of the rain was all that Hatake Kakashi felt as he stared at the large memorial stone before him. His one eye, depicting loneliness and sorrow, continually read across three names, boring into the stone as if it showed him those three people themselves, forever asleep in the dark embrace called death.

Three names upon the stone, all surrounded by their fellow heroes, were all that mattered to the White-haired man.

Kazama Arashi. The Yondaime Hokage and Kakashi's sensei, who had sacrificed himself to save Konoha from the terror of the Kyuubi no Kitsune.

Iyasu Rin, former teammate and aspiring Medic-nin who had died on that same night to save countless others from death through overuse of medical jutsu.

And Uchiha Obito, the loudmouth failure of a shinobi who had died to protect Kakashi himself, and who had departed only after giving Kakashi his valuable Sharingan.

Kakashi sighed. Every morning and every night he stood there, reading through countless names, only to stop at those three. He told himself constantly that he paid respects to all those who died to protect others, all those who had sacrificed themselves for the good of the village, and even those who had lost their lives so others could complete their missions. In reality, though, he couldn't deny that he only cared about the three people he had considered most precious to him, even if he hadn't known it until they were gone.

Every time he came and paid his respects, one question continued to float to his mind. What if things had been different? What if all these people had not met the obstacles that brought about their deaths? What if the Kyuubi had never attacked Konoha and led to Yondaime's sacrifice? What if Rin had had more chakra to use, and had never exhausted herself to death?

_And what if you, Obito, had been just a little stronger?_

Sometimes, he even went as far as to imagine what life may have been like. But he only told himself the same thing in the end: they all would have died either way. All three of them had sacrificed themselves for the sakes of others: Yondaime and Rin to protect the village, and Obito to protect him. Even if circumstances had been different, they all would have done the same thing for the same purpose, and died nonetheless.

Imagination meant nothing in reality. It could soothe a mind, but not a heart. So Kakashi told himself as the same argument raged through his mind every morning and evening. But he still believed that, even if they had died nonetheless, things may have changed.

_So what, Obito, would your life have been like, had you been that much stronger, I wonder?_

---

12-year-old Uchiha Obito slowly awoke to a familiar shining light, feeling as if every muscle in his body had suddenly been overflowed with energy.

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**And there's the Prologue. Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you'll be glad to know the first real chapter is nearly complete. I should have it out by Thursday at the latest. If lucky, Tuesday.**


	2. Genin At Last!

**Disclaimer****: I do not own Naruto, nor do I have anything to do with its creation or its characters (though, honestly, I wish I did; don't we all?). If I did, do you really think I'd be writing this?**

Whew! I got this done sooner than I thought. Be glad. It's the first real chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it! Though, honestly, I'm not sure if there's really a "you all".

...Enjoy anyway!

**Chapter I**

Genin at Last!

**Obito**

The wind ruffled his spiky, raven-colored hair as he sped through the village. His onyx eyes were protected by goggles, his body by a black t-shirt and a dark blue sweatshirt. His pants, reaching as far as his ankles, were a dark shade of blue. He was panting, running in the direction of the Konoha Ninja Academy.

Uchiha Obito was ready for graduation. Only problem was, he was about to be late.

Today was the day he graduated and became a Genin. Finally! As a real shinobi, he could prove how great he really was, not just some loser in the shadow of a powerful family.

He grinned at the thought, but right now he was more concerned about what team he would be assigned to. His dream team consisted of himself, his best friend, Hinote Katto, and his crush, Iyasu Rin. Luck was against him, though, he thought, so he merely hoped for the best.

He turned a corner onto an alley he had discovered was actually a shortcut to the Ninja Academy. There was a hole in the wall here, which was in turn a tunnel beneath the Hokage Tower. He had discovered it while in a rush to get to the Academy on the day of an important exam, the most important one next to the Genin Exams themselves.

The tunnel was short, and it led right to the field behind the Academy. Obito easily sped through it; it was large enough to fit a five-and-a-half foot tall man, so he was able to pop out of the other end in a minute. He quickly squirmed out, and straightened his goggles. He heaved a sigh, and continued his run into the building.

The turns and stairs had come to be an unconscious path to him, giving him simple navigational skills that allowed for him to close his eyes and find his way without them. Doing so, he mentally prayed that he was not late. Not today, of all days, he thought.

There it was! His hallway! Obito turned, only to trip on his foot and fall flat on his face, his foot knocking forcefully against the wall.

"Owe…that hurt!" he yelled. "…Ah! I've got to hurry! I can't be late, not this time! I promised Kiso-sensei!"

He swiftly jumped to his feet, sighting his goal: the last door in the hallway. Obito quickened his pace. 20 feet… 10 feet… 5 feet…

WHAM! Obito slammed into the door, forcing the hinges to twist. He landed on the floor in front of his sensei's desk, and lay still, sprawled out on the floor.

"Am I late?" he asked, still lying down. Slamming into an open door and landing like this was embarrassing enough; if he were late anyway, it would only make it worse.

His sensei, Kiso, picked up a clock on his desk. He frowned, making Obito nervous. Was he late after all?

Kiso turned a cheery smile in his direction. "Nope," he said. "You're just on time."

Obito whooped and jumped up off the floor. He quickly brushed the dirt off of his clothes and found himself a seat at the back of the classroom next to his best friend, Katto, a red-haired boy who seemed to be only mildly interested in what Kiso was starting to say.

"Close call," he said as Obito sat down. "A record, too, I think." Obito grinned. It wasn't much of a record, but it still was one, so it mattered nonetheless. Katto turned an annoyed eye towards him, reminding Obito of how his best friend was not exactly a morning person. Or, for that matter, an anything person.

The irate rookie was wearing his usual clothes: a plain, white t-shirt covered by a crimson vest, and a pair of brown pants that, Obito had noted many times, quite a few other people wore. Around Katto's neck was a necklace, holding a small, red die. On the back of his vest was an image of a blazing sun, the symbol of the Hinote family.

"So," Obito whispered, loud enough so Katto could hear, but quietly so that Kiso would not notice the two ignoring him. "What are the chances we'll be on the same team?"

"Only about a 10 chance at most," he said. Obito sighed inwardly, disappointed, despite the fact that he already knew that. He still hoped against all hope that God would be so kind as to somehow make Kiso put them on the same team. It did make some sense, though, if they did. Katto was one of the better students in the class, and Obito near the bottom of the list. For once in his life, Obito's lack of skill actually did some good.

"It would make some sense, though, if we end up on the same team after all. I'm near the top of the list, and you're by the bottom, which means that your grades actually helped us for once. It sort of increases our chances, but don't count on it. Oh, and duck."

"Huh?" Before Obito could say more, an eraser impaled his face. Obito nearly fell out of his seat, taken by surprise and suffering the effects of dust. Luckily, his goggles protected his eyes, so he merely coughed it off. He snuck a peak in Katto's direction, and saw that his friend had dodged another eraser at the last moment.

"Obito! Katto!" yelled Kiso, anger clearly shown in his eyes. "Care to entice us with another poor excuse as to why you're not listening? Honestly, it's disappointing to see two graduates talking amongst themselves instead of listening to important information. I thought you two would mature now. Or is it because you already know what I'm talking about here?"

Obito, no doubt about to say something stupid while the eyes of the class were on them, was blocked off as Katto's fist met his back. The red-clad rookie spoke out in a normal voice, clearly denying he had done anything to upset Kiso.

"You were saying that there's a shinobi our age being thrown into one of the teams, because their teammates and sensei are dead."

Kiso scowled, bothered by the fact that Katto had been so accurate. Obito grinned, glad that his friend, the best multi-tasker he knew, had been able to pay slight attention to what Kiso had been saying. Not the first time he had saved them both that way.

Kiso sighed. "Well, since I can tell Obito hasn't the slightest idea what's going on ("Hey!"), I'll repeat myself. Recently, two shinobi returned from a mission with the other members of their squad killed in action. One of them is around your age, and Hokage-sama believes he should be placed on a new Genin team to allow him to interact with other shinobi his age, regardless of differences in skill."

Obito took the last comment as an insult directed at him, not realizing, as he soon would, that it was a hint as to what the guy was like. Several others scoffed at it as well, obviously taking the same insult.

"Anyway," Kiso continued. "You all know already that you each will be placed on a squad of three with two of your classmates as your team members. Each squad will be assigned to a Jounin Sensei, who will act as your teacher and oversee your early shinobi life. The teams were decided upon by balancing skills, putting together those whose abilities complement each others, and the like."

"And of course, the most important part, the only one you guys care about: the teams. Team 1: Kitaini Shinasou…"

Obito began doze off as Kiso slowly read the names out, in what felt like a monotone voice. Most of the class had eventually gotten used to him, but Obito, even after a year of his class, still fell asleep merely from listening to him. A possible explanation of his grades, but none seemed to accept the excuse.

Katto immediately noticed and resolved to wake up his friend once one of their names was called. In the meantime, the red-clad Genin half-listened to Kiso, and began to survey his classmates. Over the three years he had spent at the Academy, he had gotten to know a few of them, choosing to stay away from anyone that may be irritating, even if only a little.

What was really on his mind, though, was the matter of the guy Kiso had been talking about. Kiso had said he was already on a team, even though he was their age. So that meant he was ahead, right? Unable to think of another explanation, Katto vaguely wondered when the boy had graduated. He had to pretty good to graduate early; even those dubbed geniuses graduated at the same time as anyone else. This meant this guy had to be some super-genius-prodigy, or something of the sort.

Katto hoped, above all things, that this kid wasn't a bragger. Nothing worse than someone bragging and actually having what it took to back up his talk. But, he thought, considering Konoha history, the geniuses tended to be anti-social or quiet, rather than irritating. Ego-centric, though, sometimes…

Katto shook his head quickly, returning his attention back to Kiso and the list of squads.

The monotone-voiced Chunin had just read through Team 4; so far, no one of interest was mentioned.

"Team 5," he said. "Uchiha Obito."

Obito's head shot up, his eyes instantly focused on Kiso.

Please, someone I like!

"Iyasu Rin."

Yes!

Obito, in his surprise, excitement, glee, happiness, and many other positive emotions, was about to jump up in the air and celebrate his good luck. Katto immediately shot him a look that so clearly said, "I beg you, don't". Obito relaxed in his seat, refocusing on Kiso, who seemed to be glad Obito hadn't publicly celebrated.

"And," he said, "Hatake Kakashi."

…Who?

Obito looked around the room, as if someone would raise a sign saying, "Hi, I'm Hatake Kakashi, you're new teammate that you never noticed!" After a moment, however, he finally realized who Hatake Kakashi was.

Great.

Already, his mind was mimicking the thoughts Katto had been thinking moments ago. He wasn't about to let it ruin his good mood, though, so he instead gave Kiso his attention, waiting to hear out the rest of the teams so he could leave, and, if he played his cards right, maybe get to have lunch with Rin.

From that point on, Obito swore Kiso had sped up. Perhaps he himself was getting bored, or maybe it was just that Obito had heard what he wanted to know, and the rest didn't matter much. Katto had been assigned to Team 9, along with two classmates neither of them could recall ever speaking to. Once Kiso had gone through ever team, he dismissed them to a three-hour break, informing them that afterwards they would be meeting their new Jounin Sensei. The class had departed quickly from the room, everyone heading to their own favorite spots, each and every one expecting to never eat there again.

Obito and Katto, among the last to leave, left the building and out to the park-sized yard.

"So, uh…" Obito attempted conversation, despite that something completely different was on his mind.

"Yeah, go ahead," said Katto. "I know what you want to do, and I had the same idea on mind. Go make meet with your girlfriend."

Obito, fully used to Katto teasing him every once and a while about his crush on Rin, nodded, and turned in another direction. He had, at some point, followed her to see where she eats, in a vain attempt to get her to really notice him. Obviously, she knew who he has; everyone at the Academy did. More than that, though, she was one of the few that was actually kind to him, stimulating his growing crush on her But he couldn't help but feel that they still hardly knew each other, which was far less than he wanted.

He followed the path he had memorized, until he spotted the blonde sitting at a bench, getting ready to eat her lunch. He took a deep breathe, deciding that even if he said something stupid, he'd stay calm. It would just make him act worse if he tried to explain or fix what he had, said, right?

That's what he'd been told, anyway.

The Uchiha slowly stepped towards her, gulping nervously, contemplating what he should say first. Keeping calm was harder to do when the time finally came. He kept his eyes fixed on her as he walked, absorbing the beauty he had seen in her since the first time he had laid eyes on her.

When at last he was within a ten foot radius of her, he began speaking, unnoticed until the first sound left his mouth.

"Um, hi, Rin!" he said.

Did I say that too quickly? Oh, man, maybe I shouldn't have been so direct? Ah… I'm such an idiot!

Rin opened her eyes, and, to his relief, smiled.

"Oh! Obito, hi." She said.

"So, um," he began. "I was, uh, thinking, and…uh…well, seeing as we're teammates now, I thought…I thought maybe we should get to know each other better, you know? So, uh, mind if I join you for lunch?"

"Sure," she said in a cheery voice, and slid over to make room on the bench.

Hopes higher than before, Obito sat down and made himself comfortable, careful not to do anything stupid. He carefully looked over his lunch.

"So…" he said, trying to think of something to say. He wondered briefly if he should have thought of things to talk about in case he got stuck with nothing to say. Maybe he should have thought this through first? After all, like his cousin had said…no, wait, but Katto said his sister…no…

Argh! He thought. Maybe taking advice from so many people was a bad idea? It certainly wasn't helping.

Luckily for him, Rin had something to talk about.

"Well, we already know each other," she began. "But that Kakashi guy… Do you know anything about him? I mean, you're from one of the largest and greatest clans in Konoha, right? Have you ever heard anyone in your family mention him?"

Obito thought for a moment. She did have a good point. Maybe his family had heard about the guy? His dad, probably, or maybe his cousin Fugaku. He made a mental note to ask one of them when he got home before answering Rin.

"It's possible, I guess. I mean, I wouldn't have paid much attention or thought to remember the name, so now I'm not sure. Since you're asking, I guess you don't know anything, huh?"

"Actually," she said. "I do know something. I heard a rumor about him being placed in one of the teams. I thought it might be interesting, so I asked around. Some people said he was a genius of some sort. Some of them even said he was already a Chunin! At our age! One person even went as far as to say that he's been a Chunin since he was very little."

Obito, unable to control himself, allowed his eyes to widen. C-Chunin already? Since he was little? Damn! That's got to take a lot of skill. Who the hell is this guy?

"W-wow…" he said. "Well, then, I just hope he's not the kind to brag."

Rin giggled, causing Obito confusion. What was so funny?

"Yeah," she said. "I suppose you're right. It would be annoying if he was. Can't know until we meet him, though."

"Yeah. I guess we just got to hope, huh?"

"Mm."

Awkward silence followed. Obito tried hard to think of a new topic to talk about, but found nothing. He didn't want to say anything about the Uchiha clan; it would sound like he was bragging. The last thing he wanted in the world was for Rin to think he was annoying. He didn't know what he would do if that happened.

"You had a close call this morning," she said, reminding Obito of his mad run to the Academy. "Any reason that that happens so often? I mean, no offense, but…it happens too often to be a coincidence."

"Well," he said. "I guess something always comes up. I mean, just this morning, I woke up late because someone stole my alarm clock a few weeks ago. I've been having trouble waking up without it. My clan's so big, you get forgotten sometimes. Especially when you're a loser like me, who can't keep up with the rest of the family."

Rin shot him an odd look. "Don't call yourself a loser! I've always admired how you get back up, even if it takes you awhile. You're not the best, but you try, and that's what matters, right?"

Obito nodded, feeling slightly better about himself. This was why he liked her so much. Unlike any of the other girls in his class, she was kind and encouraging. It also helped him believe he had a chance with her.

"But, I suppose," she said. "Maybe if you try to leave earlier, whatever gets in your way will make you on time. I mean, theoretically."

Obito tried to fake a thinking pose for a moment, and nodded. "Yeah, I guess that would work. Maybe I should try it sometime."

"How about now?"

"Huh?" Confused, Obito looker at her, wondering what she was saying. Now? What was he late to?

"I mean, Kiso-sensei told us all to be back after this break to meet our Jounin-sensei. So if you try to leave early to that, then maybe you'll be on time?"

Obito nodded. "Alright, then I'll try that!" Rin smiled. Obito, suddenly realizing he had finished his lunch, decided to meet up with Katto and see what he thought of his team. And maybe tell him about this.

"Well," he said. "I'm gonna go. I think Katto's probably fed up by his team by now. He should walking around angry somewhere."

"Alright. Nice to see you, Obito."

"You too, Rin."

With that, Obito stood up and began walking away. He was hoping her gaze was still on him, but did not turn around to check. It would look so stupid if she saw him suddenly turn around to check and see if she was looking at him.

It had gone pretty well, he thought. Maybe he had said, "Yeah" and "I guess" too many times, but he was nervous, so it was justified in his mind. The more he got to know her, the more comfortable he would be around her, and the more he'd talk and open up. It was one of his good traits, he liked to think, that he was at least a little patient.

A few minutes later, he found Katto, fuming as expected, and walking in circles around a shady area in the Academy grounds.

"What happened?" Obito asked.

"Idiots, that's what," Katto said. "I have no idea how I'm gonna put with them. Probably, we won't be allowed to participate in the Chunin Exams as rookies, so I've got at least a year to spend with them. I just hope the smart up and mature."

Obito could only imagine what had happened to make the normally calm boy so infuriated. Deciding to let the boy rant, Obito sat and half-listened, still thinking about his conversation with Rin. He was particularly interested in the bit she had said about that Kakashi fellow.

About two hours later, Katto was perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened, and they were both heading back to the building. Obito had explained what Rin to Katto, who commented on being that Obito would stop asking for his advice. Unsure of whether Katto was glad or bothered, he stopped talking about it. At least, when he was with Katto, he managed to get places on time, due to his friend's perfectly normal punctuality.

Once everyone was back in the classroom and sitting in their squads, Kiso sent another Chunin to fetch the Jounin. Moments later, they all began to arrive, a few minutes between each one, to find their new students.

The teams departed one by one, including Katto's. Left with no one to speak with, Obito found a new seat next to Rin. Neither said anything, both taking interest in the boy sitting a few rows in front of them. He was not familiar, that was for sure. He had bright, grey hair, almost silver, and was wearing a black mask as well as professional-looking clothes. He definitely did not look like the bragging type, and, more importantly, seemed like the kind of guy Obito would expect out of a 12-year-old who was already a Chunin. Though he wasn't particularly sure about that one fact just yet.

Most of the Teams were gone, leaving immediately as their new Sensei arrived in the first ten minutes. A few were left, including a now bored Obito.

The Chunin sent to find the Jounin entered, panting slightly, and informed Kiso that the remaining Jounin had been found. The first to walk through the door had bright, blonde hair, which, at first seemed to be gold, or at least real yellow rather than blonde. He had a cheery smile on his face.

"Team 5?" he said. Obito immediately jumped up, followed by Rin, and they both made their way down to the front of the room. He seemed like a good guy. "My name is Kazama Arashi."

Kakashi had already gotten up, and was looking the Jounin over. "You're…" began the stoic boy. "Konoha's Yellow Flash?

Who?

That's that. It's almost twice as long as the original, for anyone reading this who may have read the original too. And just so you know, I'm planning on going through with this. Last time, I started it as soon as I had the idea, and decided to just go with what came to me. Probably the biggest flaw there. Anyway, I have a detailed plot written up, so I don't think there should be any worry as to whether or not I go through with the story or not. Just so you know, I may twist things up a little to make the story more interesting. Like, making Obito a little stronger than he's depicted in the Kakashi Gaiden, though that's not nearly enough information to determine how strong he really is.

Next Chapter: Arashi's Test, Fugaku's Training!


	3. Arashi's Test, Fugaku's Training!

**Chapter II**

Arashi's Test, Fugaku's Training!

**Obito**

Kazama Arashi led them out of the classroom and away from the Ninja Academy. Obito, wondering who exactly he was, remained silent as they walked. The name, "Konoha's Yellow Flash" did not ring a bell, nor did the Jounin look familiar in any way. Being a part of the Uchiha Clan, he knew many names; unfortunately, this one, he lacked.

No one else said anything as the Jounin led them away. Obito began wondering where they were headed that was so far away, as they finally arrived in a small field near the edge of the village, a large boulder sitting in the center. The Jounin took a seat on the boulder and relaxed. He motioned for the rest of them to sit.

Obito cautiously knelt down and searched for a comfortable way to sit. The silence unnerved him; sitting in a classroom most of the day and being part of a very large family made silence abnormal, whilst loud noise became like a part of life to him. He quickly stole a glance at Rin and Kakashi, hoping to see one of them looking as nervous as he felt.

Rin seemed a little calmer than he was. Most likely, Obito thought, that was because he was getting a powerful urge to prove himself, not only to the Jounin, but also to Kakashi, who probably expected the others to be so far beneath him. She, however, was sitting comfortably, staring calmly at the Jounin.

Kakashi, sitting a foot or two farther from the Jounin than Obito, looked perfectly still, staring at the Jounin. Because of his mask, Obito couldn't really tell if he was calm or nervous. Interested seemed to fit as a better description, though. More interested than Kakashi apparently expected to be.

Obito turned his attention back to the Jounin, who seemed like he was about to say something. _About time_, Obito thought.

"Well," the Jounin began. "You all know I'm your new Jounin sensei. I don't know you, though, so I'd like to start with introductions. Basic stuff: name, likes, dislikes, dreams, and anything else you feel like including."

Despite the simple instructions, neither of the three spoke. Obito gulped nervously, deciding that he would be the one to go first. It may seem brave, even if only a little. No one ever really wanted to go first.

"I—" he began, but was cut off by another voice.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi," stated the boy next to him. Had it been anyone else, Obito might have thought they were trying to gain the spotlight, but Kakashi seemed calm; he was probably just getting it over with.

"I don't have too many likes to speak of, so I won't say any. I dislike anyone or anything that breaks rules or laws; after all, those who don't are called trash. I have no dreams to speak of."

_Great. Just what I need. A rule-freak. He'll be on my case forever!_

Kakashi seemed to be finished, so Obito spoke up.

"My name's Uchiha Obito," he proclaimed, glad that he did not sound too nervous. "I like being able to take things slowly, and having a sense of accomplishment. I don't like…show-offs and over-restricting rules. My dream is to prove myself as a respectable and powerful ninja. …Oh, and I have a tendency, to, uh, be sort of…late."

For a second, Obito thought he did not say enough, but decided he had made a good choice on where to stop. He would have liked to add the fact that he loved Yakitori ((Japanese Shish-kabob)), but thought it was not, well, "cool". He wanted to make a good first impression, so to him, talking about his favorite food was out of the question for now.

"Tardiness is for those called trash," Kakashi muttered. Obito, having only heard a slight murmur but partially understood what the boy had said, turned on him in irritation.

"What did you say?" Obito snapped.

"Nothing," Said Kakashi.

"No," Obito said, hardly aware of what he was saying or what he was thinking. "You definitely said something. I want to know what. So say it again."

Kakashi remained silent. Arashi looked between the two, and seemed to understand what Kakashi had said. "Anyway," interrupted the Jounin. "We still have another introduction. If the two of you don't mind, I would like to get to know my third student, too."

Obito stopped glaring at Kakashi and looked at Rin. It was just this one time, he thought. Maybe he would be able to get along better with Kakashi in the future. After all, they had just met.

For some reason, Obito wanted to hear Rin's introduction, as short and meaningless as it probably was. Most likely, he already knew what she was going to say. For a split second, Obito thought he saw Rin give a nervous look before she began.

"My name is Iyasu Rin," she said.

_She likes healing wounds._

"I enjoy tending to injuries of any kind and seeing people get better."

_She hates when she can't do anything to help people._

"I dislike it when there is nothing in my power to help someone heal."

_Her dream is to become a great healer._

"And I aspire to become as best a Medic-nin as ever possible."

Obito, surprised at his accuracy, and also somewhat unsure at whether it was weird that he was right, turned his attention to Arashi. Said Jounin nodded his approval and sighed.

"My turn," he said. "Like I said before, my name is Kazama Arashi. I enjoy eating ramen and protecting people who are precious to me. I hate poverty. As of right now, I don't have any dreams I can name."

He gave the information a moment to sink in before continuing. "I know that Kakashi is already a Chunin (_So it's true_, Obito thought), and already knows this, but for Obito and Rin: You're not Genin just yet."

"What?!" Obito was up on his feet, baffled and angered at the same time. "What the hell do you mean we're not Genin yet?"

Rin seemed to be confused too. She had a look of shock on her face, but she was still calmer than Obito.

"Well," Arashi said. "Twenty four graduates emerged from the Ninja Academy, but in the long run, only nine will really become Genin. You see, the Academy Graduation test was only used to weed out those students that don't have a chance of becoming Genin at all; the rest are given to us, their new Jounin Sensei, to decide."

"Wait, so," Obito began, calmer than before. "You decide whether or not we become Genin?"

"Pretty much. However, I'll warn you, it's not easy. Each Jounin gives their team a test, designed by them or otherwise made, and in their own methods, determines whether or not they become Genin. Even then, though, the Jounin together must decide on the nine final Genin. _My_ test has a 55 success rate(1).

Obito gulped. _55? That's it? It's not much… Dammit, why didn't anyone in the family tell me about this?_

Arashi stood up, a serious look on his face. "Be at Training Ground #59 tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM sharp, and make sure you don't eat breakfast. We'll see whether or not you're cut out for the Shinobi life. And Kakashi, I'd like you to come too. It would be interesting to test your skill."

With that, Arashi disappeared in a cloud of smoke, a mischievous grin plastered across his face. Kakashi stood, turned and began to walk off without saying a word. Obito and Rin watched him go, until, once he was out of sight, they turned to each other.

"Sounds…hard," Obito said, vocalizing his thoughts.

"Yeah," Rin agreed. "And we only get one day to prepare, which makes it all the more difficult. I would have liked to know in advance, so I could train or get ready."

"Well, then, I guess we better get going, huh? It may be just one day, but its still time."

Rin nodded, and the two separated, each heading in separate directions. Obito made his way quietly back to the Uchiha District, silently wondering how hard this test really was. Arashi couldn't go _all_ out on them, could he? That would be too unfair, right? There was no way _other_ rookies in the past had managed to beat their sensei! Otherwise, there would be much less shinobi! Or was it that Obito was just so much weaker than he even thought?

It was only early afternoon, and, like he had said, there as plenty of time to train. Obito rushed home not wanting to waste what precious time he had. After a few minutes of running, the Uchiha District looming in the distance, Obito headed for a nearby Weapons Shop first. Training was not the only way to prepare; after all, proper weaponry was important as well. He briefly looked over what he had in his possession, and found he could definitely use a new collection of weapons.

Obito stopped in front of the small shop. The walls were bare, aside from two large windows with multiple weapons showcased behind the glass. The weapons sold in this shop varied from kunai, to fuuma shuriken, to katana.

A large, black sign rested on top, labeled in white text, "Kiosei's Weapons". Obito, not at all hesitant, stepped inside. The walls were lined with larger weapons, while smaller ones were being shown off on stands. A middle-aged man was sitting at the center, asleep. The shop itself was completely empty of people aside from him.

Obito stepped towards the man, inhaled, and began yelling.

"Yo! Massaro-san, wake up! You don't want me putting your desk on fire again, do you?!"

Obito shook the man, and Kiosei Massaro awoke, drooling, and utterly baffled as to where in the world was. There was _absolutely_ no _way_ he could be in a weapons' shop he had built and had been running for the last twenty years. Absurd!

"Wsupgirwoantayesolpson?" (Translation: 'Wassup girl-woman today ass-hole person?')

He was a drunk. He was lazy. Even worse, he was very confused when it came to life in general. But his craftsmanship was as good as it came. Therefore, the Uchiha clan had a permanent contract with him; for a monthly payment, any member of the Uchiha clan could come by at any time and pick up any weapons or other equipment they may require. It was sort of a like a weapons buffet, Obito thought.

The man slowly got up from the chair he was sitting in. His gaze focused on Obito, clearly implying that he was actually awake now. He yawned, and then gave his full attention to the young Uchiha.

Regardless, Obito said nothing, deciding instead to glare at the old man with a disapproving look.

"Well," Massaro said, "If it isn't young Uchiha Obito. God, I can't remember the last time I saw you, let alone…well…_anyone_. Especially in your clan. Sometimes, I wonder why no one ever comes in here."

Obito grinned. "Massaro-san, your weapons are amazingly long-lasting and perfectly made, I'll give you that. But maybe no one comes in here because the only guy working in the shop is always asleep? It doesn't really give a very good image. That's why the Uchiha are almost the only customers you ever get. Maybe you should, you know, hire some people to work here?"

The old man had a slightly shocked reaction, then rubbed his chin, mulling it over. He muttered so quietly that, Obito, a few feet away, could hardly hear him. Then the man laughed and looked Obito in the face.

"Who, you?" he said. "That'd be great, boy! You can start work here right away, while I get myself a decent and well-deserved nap! And even better, I could just give you your paycheck by cutting off part of your clan's monthly payment! Brilliant idea, boy!"

"Wah? Are you crazy, Massaro-san?! I can't work for you, I just became a Genin! Well, I'm _almost_ a Genin, anyway. That's why I'm here. I have to pass one final test against my new Jounin sensei, and I thought my supplies could use some replacement."

"Huh? Is that so? I don't recall…oh, yes, now I remember! That little dream you announced every time you walked in or out of the door while you were little. 'Old man, you just watch! I'm gonna be one of the best shinobi the village has ever seen', right?"

_Little dream? …How much has he been drinking lately?_

"Anyway," continued the old man. "Final Genin test, eh? I remember that. That damn survival exam you have to take against your Jounin Sensei before you officially become a Genin. Something along those lines, right?"

"Massaro-san, I just said that. How much have you been drinking?"

The man leaned back, thinking. "Not sure. Now that I think about it, there are a lot of blank spaces in my memory. I don't even remember getting up, or what I ate for dinner tonight!"

_Yeah, he's definitely been drinking._

"Well," Obito said, somewhat annoyed at the old man's drinking habits, and even more so annoyed at their powerful effects on him. "You can still get me some proper supplies, right? I don't want to start fighting Arashi-sensei with dull shuriken or broken kunai."

"Of course, boy! What, you think all I ever do is sleep all day long?"

_Actually, yes._

"Lessee, kunai and shuriken? That's all? You sure you don't need anything else?"

"Ah… I think I could do with some more explosion tags, and maybe I should stock up on some more smoke bombs, while I'm at it…"

"Right! Follow me!" Massaro yelled in excitement. Obito was not entirely sure why he acted so energetic whenever he came; he seemed like such a calm, lazy guy. His main guess was that Massaro hardly ever got customers; therefore anyone to walk through his doors got him excited. It sounded like a lonely life the man was leading, so Obito tried to visit as often as possible. Sometimes, he would purposely ruin his supplies just so he had an excuse to come.

Massaro had disappeared to the back of the shop. Obito could hear strange noises emanating from the storage room, wondering just what else but weapons Massaro had back there. Actually, weapons were bad already. Obito had no trouble believing that Massaro would eventually knock over a tomahawk or a fuuma shuriken and kill himself.

"Hey, Massaro-san, you need a hand back there?" he yelled.

"No, I'm good," came the answer. Seconds later, Massaro stepped back into the shop, carrying four boxes. "Alright. I've got here the best kunai and shuriken I ever made; yes, I keep storage special for those I think are the best I've done. And there are few people I honor with selling them to, so be grateful, boy. Hm… Less smoke bombs than I remember having, though… How many could I have sold to that man last month? Now that I think about it, the tags, too…"

"Massaro-san!" Obito yelled. "You're getting off-topic! I need my stuff, so I can hurry and go train! Plus, I've gotta ask my cousin Fugaku about a couple people on my team."

"Alright, alright, calm down, boy. Fugaku…oh yes, I remember him. Uchiha Fugaku. That guy's been getting some nice attention recently. Nothing special compared to that Kazama Arashi, though."

Obito suddenly felt as if he had been hit by something hard. A hammer maybe, falling from upstairs, where Massaro kept his extra weapons. Or the fact that the old man had just mentioned his new sensei.

"M-Massaro-san! What do you know about Kazama Arashi?"

"Huh? Well, Kazama Arashi, he's one of the best Jounin in the village. A genius, most people call him. I personally wouldn't be surprised to see him become Hokage one day… Anyway, he's most famous for his creation of the Hiraishin technique. People in other countries fear him just because of it! I'm old, though, and I haven't had much contact with him, so that's as far as my knowledge goes."

_So… Arashi-sensei isn't just an ordinary Jounin, huh? The Hiraishin technique… From the way Massaro-san spoke about it, it sounds like an amazing jutsu! It would be great to train under him, but it makes it so much harder because I'm gonna have to fight him! Damn, I hope he goes easy on us!_

"Anyway," said Massaro. "Here you go. I've got a full package of shuriken, and five kunai. Plus a package of explosion tags and enough smoke bombs to take off whatever space you have left to carry all this stuff. Also, I'll throw in a special offer. I'll take whatever weapons you have now, and get them into tip-top shape for the next time you stop by! Free of charge, too!"

"Really?! That'd be great, thanks!" Obito exchanged his current supplies with the new equipment. "Massaro-san, you're awesome, you know that?"

"'Course I am, boy. But before you go, I have one last thing for you. Here." The man handed Obito a small container with what looked like pills inside.

"What are these?"

"Those, boy, are called Soldier Pills. Eating one of those will recharge your body with enough chakra to last you three whole days! But be careful. If you eat too many of those in too short a time, you'll get sick. There are three in there. And remember; don't use them for just any little thing! Only when you really need them! Now, go, train! And make sure to stop here on your way home tomorrow and tell me how it went."

"Will do, old man," Obito said confidently. With that, he exited the shop, and began running home towards the Uchiha District, out in the distance. He had two things to do now; train, and find out as much information as he could about Kazama Arashi and Hatake Kakashi.

---

**Kakashi**

A resounding thud echoed as the metal made contact with the target. Hatake Kakashi calmly pulled the kunai out of the target, marking it with its thirtieth perfect hit. The Chunin sighed, wishing, for the umpteenth time, that he had a sparring partner.

Having devoted his life to following rules, a result to his father's death, Kakashi had few true friends, if any at all. Every once in a while, he would become desperate enough to convince one of his fellow Chunin to spar with him, but aside from those few instances, he mostly avoided any true relationship with anybody in the village.

Therefore, he was left to train alone.

It wasn't that he was lonely; no, a shinobi had to kill even that emotion, but it was the lack of anyone there to measure himself against that made it difficult. 99 of people his age were rookie Genin, still in the Academy, or not even training to be shinobi. Most of the older shinobi, who were on par with his own skill preferred to have sparring partners who were…their height.

Kakashi understood them fine; if he were them, he would do the same. However, one of the shinobi rules included being ready for any sort of fight. If one ended up face to face with someone half their height, then they would have no choice but to fight them. Seeing as Kakashi almost always fought adults, he had no problem fighting no matter what the size of his opponent was. However, it would be more beneficial to have a permanent sparring partner.

His only choices were with the rookie Genin, however. And none of them did him justice. For now, he presumed, he would just have to wait until he grew some more before finding himself a sparring partner.

More importantly, though, was the situation with his new sensei. When Sandaime had first suggested he be placed on a Genin team, despite his superior rank, Kakashi had wondered what he had done to displease or un-impress ((not sure if that's a word)) the Hokage. He had originally expected it to be a chain, slowing him down from becoming stronger. He had expected to see two crybabies fresh out of the Academy, thinking they were true shinobi, and a babysitter of a Jounin watching as they tripped over the grass. He had, it seemed, found that in one of the two Genin. The girl seemed mature, and, from the looks of it, was becoming skilled in healing and medicine; she wasn't so bad a teammate to have. That Uchiha Obito, though, was only going to be a thorn at his side. Kakashi wasn't about to start wasting his time to save a brat who couldn't follow a rule as simple as punctuality.

What he had not expected to see was Kazama Arashi, the Leaf's Legendary Yellow Flash. His position in the team, at least, had intrigued Kakashi. Maybe it would not be so bad. Jounin Sensei tended to be sympathetic and helpful to their students; unlike any of the other Chunin and Jounin, Arashi may accept to sparring, and give Kakashi a chance to see the legend of the Yellow Flash that he had heard so many rumors about.

Yes. His interests were much higher with this team than they had originally been. He was slightly worried that the Uchiha kid would cause them to fail Arashi's test, but Kakashi had enough faith in himself and the girl (Rin, was it?) to convince himself that the test was going to be a peace of cake.

…At least, he thought so. Hoped so, even. Yes, for once, Hatake Kakashi found himself hoping and wishing for the skill to beat someone. He was surprised at how desperate he was to become this man's student.

But preparation for this test was important, still. He had one day only to prepare, and that wasn't much. Therefore, Kakashi was already going through any one-man training method he could come up with. He had done target practice already; thirty perfect shots with kunai and shuriken on a brand new target.

So he decided to practice his Ninjutsu next. Currently, he was not the most amazing Ninjutsu user in the Leaf; his specialties were in hand to hand combat, either in Taijutsu, or with his Chakra Blade. Most of his Ninjutsu was made up of the basic Academy Ninjutsu, a few Fire and Earth styled ones, and those associated with the Chakra Nature he was now developing. He had been able to determine that he had Lightning Natured Chakra, and therefore had begun learning some Lightning type Ninjutsu, but had so far not had the time to master any.

He left his home to one of the nearby training fields, and found himself a good, sturdy tree to practice on. Seeing as trees did not conduct electricity, they were the perfect targets for practicing with lightning jutsu.

The young Chunin began to perform a set of hand seals, perfectly naming each one as he went and stopping at Saru (monkey).

"Raiton: Dendou Myaku no jutsu! (Lightning Release: Electric Pulse Technique!) Chakra in his fingers was converted to electricity before he struck the ground, releasing a hundred volts of electricity in a large pulse. The closest tree to him suddenly flashed blue and caught fire in several places.

Kakashi pulled a large pack and splashed out the water within around the tree, then continued to form more hand seals, this time switching to a different technique that required a small amount of practice before he finally had it mastered. "Suiton: Keppyou Mizubashira no jutsu! (Water Release: Freezing Waterspout technique!) The tree that was previously lit aflame was suddenly surrounded by a miniature waterspout, before the watery tornado disappeared and was replaced by a frozen tree base.

To finish off, Kakashi performed a final set of seals. "Doton: Tsuchi Bundoru no jutsu! (Earth Release: Earth Capture Technique!) The mud now surrounding the tree from the waterspout rose up in a cylinder shape around the tree before hardening into an unbreakable, earth prison.

Deciding he had done enough and that he should make resting a priority for the evening, he released the Earth technique. He still had a few more hours to go before settling down for dinner and then resting his body for the next day. Therefore, he attempted to find one last method of training. He could not spar due to a lack of a sparring partner. He could not practice Genjutsu because he had no one to practice on (how was he going to know if the illusion successfully captured the tree if the overgrown plant did not react?).

There was not much left he could do. However, as he had found in recent years, there was always something you could do as preparation for a mission: plan. Most likely the best thing he could do now was rest his body and come up with as many plans, strategies, and traps as he could to use tomorrow. With luck, one of them would succeed and help him to defeat Arashi.

So Kakashi returned home, plans already running through his mind, either to be thought-out more or completely shot down. He could tell already that tomorrow was going to be a long day.

---

**Obito**

The Uchiha Gates stood proud and tall as Obito walked through. Seeing as most members of the Uchiha Clan were shinobi, not too many people were around during the day. Sometimes, Obito and the few other young ones in the family were alone with whatever adults were not shinobi, such as Obito's aunt, who had never been a shinobi. It was one of his short-term goals to become an adult and, like everyone else, be away on shinobi missions. He had only one obstacle left to face before that.

Despite the fact that most of the family was always out, at least a third was still in Konoha at once. Obito hoped that, right now, that third included his father and Fugaku. In the Ninja Academy, they had been taught the importance of information-gathering, especially about the enemy. Therefore, Obito was determined to find out as much as he could about Arashi-sensei. And Kakashi, too, considering that it was just as important to know your allies.

He rushed through the streets of the small district, heading for his own family's quarters to find his father first. He was more likely to be home, Obito thought, and probably knew whether or not Fugaku was around.

He arrived in his family's building and walked in. His father was in a seat, reading what seemed to be a newspaper. Word spread around the village quickly, therefore leaving no need for a newspaper, but every once in a while, Obito's father constantly said, there might be something interesting in there.

Such as a list of new Genin, the day after the Rookie Nine was chosen. Obito smirked, determined to get his name on that page tomorrow.

Uchiha Shieto looked up to see Obito walk in and put on a look of curiosity.

"Well? How did it go, Obito?"

Obito gave him an annoyed look. "Dad, you didn't say anything about a final test against the Jounin. You know what it's like to feel like you've finally gotten where you always wanted to be, only to find out you have one last, almost impossible obstacle in the way?"

"Unfortunately," said Shieto. "I do. The final test is kept a secret from anyone who has yet to graduate so that it comes as a surprise for them. I'm sure that your new teacher explained why the test exists. So, on to a more important topic: who _is_ your teacher?"

"That's actually something I wanted to ask you about. Or better yet, Fugaku. My new teacher, his name is Kazama Arashi. Does it ring a bell?"

His father, it seemed, was very surprised to hear the name, his face immediately settled into an accepting, almost _glad_ expression. Did he want Obito to fail?

"Hm, well…" he began. "Kazama Arashi is a one-of-a-kind shinobi."

"Yeah, I stopped at Massaro-san's shop on the way home. He said he was famous for creating, what was it called …Herashin no jutsu?"

"_Hiraishin_," his father corrected. "Hiraishin no jutsu, otherwise known as the Flying Thunder God technique. There are not many who can compare to him. If he's your teacher, well… You probably couldn't have gotten a better teacher than him. I doubt there's any reason to think he will not go easy on you; otherwise, you would most definitely fail. Fugaku should know more about him, though. He knows people more than I do."

"Speaking of which, is Fugaku even here?"

"Yes. I saw him a couple hours ago, and I do not think he went anywhere."

"Good. That's good. But, uh, dad? There is another person I wanted to ask you about. Have you ever heard of…Hatake Kakashi?"

His father looked at him in a questioning gaze. "What about him?"

"This morning, before they announced the teams, they explained to us that one extra person was going to be placed in one of the squads. They said that apparently Hokage-sama thought that, because he is our age, he should be given a chance to work in a Genin squad, even though he's…not a Genin."

"I see. So Hatake Kakashi is in your squad, is he? He, like Kazama Arashi, is also one-of-a-kind. He became a Chunin at the age of six, and is capable of abilities no kid his age should be able to even think of doing. The kind of person most people call a prodigy. But…I can see the reasoning behind Hokage-sama's decision. It makes sense to place him on one of the Genin teams, especially with Kazama Arashi as its leader. I do not know him directly, nor I have I seen too much of him, but I know one thing. He's an arrogant kid, and a heavy enforcer of rules and laws, I've heard."

_Yeah, I know all that already. Does he know _anything_ I don't already?_

"I think, to be honest, Obito, that he is more of an obstacle for you than Kazama Arashi. Arashi has a kind heart, and, if you pass his test, he will always be more than willing to help you train and he will be lenient. Kakashi, I believe, will probably be only a problem. You aren't exactly…the kind to perfectly follow rules."

"Yeah, I don't think I made too good of an impression on him so far. I was hoping he was just nervous and isn't so stubborn. I guess not, huh?"

"No. You wanted to know more about Arashi, right? I think you should go find Fugaku and ask him. And while you're at it, it may not be a bad idea to ask him to help you train. His fame comes from a talent that is similar to Arashi's, so if anyone here knows how to prepare against him, it's Fugaku."

"Right. Thanks, dad." Obito turned away from his father and ran off in search of his older cousin. He was well aware of Fugaku's growing fame, but it was only recently that he had begun getting so much attention. Could he really know so much about Kazama Arashi?

Fugaku, as it seemed, was all the way at the other end of the gigantic maze of buildings. Obito had to spend a total of twenty minutes looking for him before he finally found him. He was sitting on top of the roof, overlooking the Uchiha's personal training grounds. It was an average-sized field with a small pond. Behind it was the edge of some woods that stretched out a little farther than the rest of the Uchiha grounds.

Obito call out to Fugaku, who turned his head, as if he only noticed the rather loud Obito, and jumped down off the roof, landing with perfect balance. He was wearing a pair of long, black pants and the ever-common blue Uchiha shirt. Over it, he was wearing the green Chunin flak jacket. He had a stern expression, as always, and Obito desperate hoped he would be willing to help him train. Currently, Fugaku was seventeen, and a Chunin. Obito had heard from some of his other relatives that Fugaku was training for the Jounin Exams coming in about a month, so it was a likely possibility he was already busy training himself.

"What is it?" Fugaku asked. Even in inquiry, his facial expression remained the same.

Obito thought of the right way to say it. "Well… You know I just graduated, right? And about how I need to pass a test from my new Jounin Sensei in order to become a Genin?"

"Yes, what about it?"

"Well," Obito continued. "Turns out, my Jounin Sensei is Kazama Arashi." For an instant, Fugaku let his expression slip into surprise. It seemed everyone was doing that at the mention of Arashi.

Fugaku sighed. "I see. So you want advice on how to fight him?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Obito eagerly waited to hear what tips Fugaku had to beat Arashi.

"Sorry, Obito, but I can't tell you anything."

WHAT?!

"W-what do you mean, you can't tell me anything? My dad said you probably know a lot about him!"

"It's not that there's nothing I can tell you, it's that I refuse to. If you ask me, knowing as much as I can tell you should be considered cheap."

"But, but! In the Academy, they constantly told us about how important it is to know a lot about your enemy! About how you need to gain all the information you can!"

"Yes, but. In most cases, you won't be able to find so much information about your enemy. As a soon-to-be shinobi, you have to be able to handle an enemy without having _any_ information about them. I'm sure since you already mentioned speaking to your father that you have already learned something. In the real world, you will be lucky if your enemy's face is in your bingo book, but most of the time, it won't be so. So you already have all the information you will have on a regular basis."

_Damn! He's got a good point, but from the way Dad and Massaro-san spoke about him, it would sound as if he _is_ in most people's bingo books. It would probably be easy to find out about him, but I guess Fugaku's right. It's sort of like training._

"Well, in that case," said Obito. Fugaku, who apparently thought that was it, had turned to leave. He turned back around, giving Obito his attention once more. "Will you do me a different favor? I have only one day to get ready, but one day is still plenty of time. Fugaku, please! Help me train!"

Fugaku stared at him for a minute, before he directed his gaze upwards, to the sky. He seemed to be taking an awfully long time to decide. At last, he closed his eyes and began walking in the opposite direction. Obito, disappointed, looked down at his feet.

But then Fugaku stopped. "Go warm up, and then meet me at the pond. I'll help you this once, because I think it's time you had some real one-on-one training, even if it's only for today."

With that, Fugaku left before Obito could thank him. Happiness instantly returned, Obito grinned and ran off to find a good place to start warming up. Fugaku was actually going to help him train! Like he had said, it was only for today, but it was still something. And it would still have a lasting effect.

A half an hour later, Obito returned to the training ground and made his way down to the small pond, where Fugaku was waiting for him, patient as ever. Obito slowed down as he reached his cousin.

"Alright, I'm ready," he said. Fugaku nodded, and turned to look out at the pond.

"I asked your father," he began. "He said you have already been taught to use Katon: Housenka. Is that correct?"

Obito nodded. "Good. Show me." Fugaku gestured for him to step in front of the pond, and Obito did so, assuming he was supposed to use the technique.

He performed the required seals. _Katon: Housenka no jutsu!_ (Fire Release: Mythical Fire Flower Technique)

Several small flaming spheres escaped his mouth, shooting out across the small pond, each seconds after the last. Similarly, they all dispersed before reaching the other end.

Obito turned to Fugaku, ready to hear his evaluation. "From the looks of it," began the Chunin. "You've perfected the size and the amount of fireballs very well."

Obito, pleased so far, smirked and stood up straight and proud.

"However, none of the fireballs are very well timed, and none of them lasted a particularly long time, hints that your chakra control is weak, but its level is quite big."

Slightly dismayed, Obito bit his lip. Did the good outweigh the bad?

Fugaku smiled. "That's good enough. My first idea was to teach you Housenka. When I saw you could already use it, I decided on a different Fire type technique: Katon: Gougakyuu. The execution is similar, but instead of several small fireballs, you attack with one, enormous one. It's better suited for someone with more chakra and less control, so with luck, you may be able to master it quickly. I can't guarantee that you will master it by tomorrow, though. We'll simply have to see."

Obito nodded, glad that his Housenka wasn't _too_ bad, and happier that Fugaku was going to teach him a different, _better_ technique.

"These," Fugaku said. "Are the hand seals for Gougakyuu." He went through a small set of seals, slowly enough so that Obito could see and memorize them. "After that, you want to, like in Housenka, focus chakra to your chest. However, for Gougakyuu, you need a much larger amount of chakra. Once it's ready, you blow it out as steadily as you can. Like so."

Fugaku inhaled deeply, before bending forward and blowing out a stream of fire, which, in turn, became a gigantic, flaming sphere overshadowing more than half of the entire pond.

Obito stood there, watching it as an awe-struck expression formed on his face. "T-that was…amazing!" He said.

Fugaku stepped away from the water. "You're turn, he said." He showed Obito the hand seals once more, this time even slower, and showed him exactly how to inhale before blowing. Obito turned to face the water.

"Here goes," he said, before taking a deep breath. Obito slowly performed each hand seal, making sure he had every single one of them correctly. He inhaled as much air as his lungs would allow and focused as much chakra as he could to his chest.

_Go!_ Obito sharply exhaled, forcing out a large..._thing_ of fire. It definitely was not a sphere, but it was not a stream, either. It almost looked like a snake that had just swallowed a rat. Several rats, actually.

Obito, panting slightly, turned back to Fugaku. The older boy watched until all the flames dispersed before speaking.

"You did not focus enough on the form of Gougakyuu. You're so used to Housenka that you did not exhale steadily, but instead blew out everything in almost one breath. The end result of that was a mutated combination of both Gougakyuu and Housenka. You need to practice blowing it out in a stream."

Obito stood up straight, confused. "But, Fugaku, if it's supposed to be a sphere, why do you blow it out as a stream? Shouldn't I be releasing a giant sphere?"

"So that's what you were doing? No, to do it right, you need a stream. Think about it; if you tried to blow out a giant fireball out of your mouth, would it fit?"

It took Obito a moment to understand Fugaku's question. _Oh! Now I get it!_

"So you're saying that I have to turn it into a sphere, because if I make it a sphere too soon, it won't go through my mouth because it's too big. And that would mean…"

"That you would be burning the inside of your mouth, yes. The whole idea here is manipulating the chakra in the fire correctly. You need to learn to turn the stream into a sphere at the right point. Most likely, that point will never be in the same place. So you need to know exactly how to do it, and be able to time it perfectly. And to make things harder, your enemy may see it coming, and dodge it or move backwards, which, once again, changes the point at which you need to turn the stream into a sphere. But, in that situation, we of the Uchiha luck out. Thanks to the Sharingan, we can predict whether or not the enemy will move, and to where, therefore allowing us to change the attack before it becomes too late."

Obito nodded. "Right. So all I need to do is practice the stream?"

"For now, yes. You can't expect a rookie Genin to have as much chakra as me. It's perfectly normal for your fireball not to be as large as my own. So long as it's large enough to have a strong effect and you execute it perfectly, it's good. The fireball will grow as you do. Now, try again. And remember this time: focus on the stream. A _steady_ stream of fire."

Obito turned back to the pond, and began performing the seals. Once again, he inhaled as deeply as possible, gathered an enormous amount of chakra in his chest, and bent forward. At first, he blew out a small stream, only about one inch thick. The stream soon became larger, and at the end, when it reached about halfway across the pond, exploded into a sphere. It was perhaps four or five feet in diameter.

Obito forced himself to continue blowing for as long as he could. After about ten seconds, the stream began to waver, and the line dispersed, followed closely by the fireball.

This time, Obito was panting hard. He looked at Fugaku, hoping for a good comment.

"Good," Fugaku said. "It was large enough, considering the amount of chakra you _should_ have at this point. The stream was pretty steady; it could use some refining, though. The timing was a little late, too. Overall, however, it was well done."

"Alright, then!" said Obito. "Another one!" He began performing the seals, but Fugaku stopped him.

"No. I have a better idea." Obito stopped and listened. "Your control was the weakest part in that technique. And the best way to make it more powerful is to increase your chakra capacities."

"Alright, so how do I do that?"

"There's a training exercise that does a very good job of improving both of those. It'll sound simple, but in reality, it's a lot more difficult."

"Well, what is it? Come on!"

"You have to climb trees. But there's a catch: no hands."

Obito merely stood there, baffled. Climb a tree? Simple. Without hands?

…How the hell was he supposed to do that? And more importantly, how did that improve his chakra control?

"So…how?" He asked.

"Follow me," Fugaku said. He led Obito towards the edge of the grounds, where there was a small woods between the Uchiha grounds and the outer wall protecting Konoha. He came to a stop in front of a particularly tall and thick tree, and turned around to face Obito.

"To climb a tree without using your hands, you need to use your chakra." He pointed at his feet. "What you have to do is focus chakra to the soles of your feet. If you focus the perfect amount, your feet will stick to the tree."

Obito saw a flash of blue emanate from Fugaku's feet, before the Chunin placed a foot on the tree. Then Fugaku lifted the other leg, and, as if gravity had suddenly disappeared, placed the other foot safely on the thick tree. It was an odd site, seeing his cousin standing sideways, negating gravity.

Fugaku turned to face the tree itself. "You'll have finished this exercise," he began, "when you can reach the very top of the tree. Focus too much chakra, and you'll break the tree. Not enough and you'll simply fall off." He jumped off the tree, and Obito nodded, determined to complete this new exercise as quickly as possible.

"Do you have any other advice?" He asked.

Fugaku nodded. "Focusing your chakra is easier if you use a hand seal. Good luck." He vanished in a puff of smoke similar to how Arashi did earlier that day.

_Alright. I'm gonna do this! I'll master it, and I'll be beat Arashi-sensei tomorrow! I'll become a Genin, and prove myself!_

And Obito got to work.

---

**Rin**

The life of a medic-nin was one of the most difficult paths for a shinobi. But once the training was complete, it was worth it to be able to heal people. At least, that's what Rin thought as she practiced healing on a dying fish.

She, like Obito, had been unaware of the final test before becoming a Genin. She, like Obito, was upset and surprised about it. However, _she_ had kept it silent.

What he had said to her, however, about using the one day they had to prepare, had stuck in her mind. Therefore, she was currently practicing her medical Ninjutsu. She knew that Arashi probably wouldn't give them such a hard time that they would get hurt enough for medical Ninjutsu to be needed. But, as she had been told when she had first started on her path as a Medic-nin, practicing could be helpful for chakra control and capacity training. Therefore, it was her most common exercise.

Her thoughts slowly drifted over to her new team. Kazama Arashi was, for the most part, a mystery to her. She could tell, by the way Kakashi had referred to him as "The Yellow Flash" that he probably stood out. Even as Jounin, most shinobi didn't get famous nicknames. If they did, it usually meant they were the best, or had some sort of amazing technique or specialty that others would probably kill for. His personality, as small insight as she had had on it so far, seemed nice enough; he did not look or seem like a particularly bad or mean person. In fact, around him, it sort of felt like an easy-going sort of atmosphere. The only way to find out more, however, was to wait for tomorrow and hope they were successful.

Kakashi was similar to Arashi; she knew almost nothing about him. He looked and dressed professionally ready to perfectly complete any mission he may be assigned. His answers to Arashi's brief introduction also hinted towards a similar personality. He had mentioned being strict on rules, right? He had said that anyone or anything that betrays rules and laws was trash. Harsh outlook, Rin thought. She had even thought she heard him mutter something about Obito being the kind of trash he spoke of, but she did not hear well enough to be sure. _She_ definitely had no problem following rules, but she was now worried for Obito. Kakashi was definitely a bad teammate for him, of all people, to have.

Speaking of Obito, she could honestly she say she did not know him _too_ well. Sure, she had been in the same Academy class as him for multiple years, but she hardly ever spoke to him during those years. She knew of his chronic tardiness that seemed to extend to any occasion to which he was arriving alone. That, she could predict already, was not going to sit well with Kakashi. She laughed at the idea of Kakashi trying to force Obito to be on time. But other than his notably horrible punctuality, she knew only about his abilities as a shinobi. He was obviously one of the worst students in the class, though it was sad to say; he always seemed to have a hard time understanding or mastering something difficult, but he always got it eventually. Being an Uchiha, that was unnatural, but she could name a few occasions where she witnessed him performing some impressive abilities. Even if some of them seemed unintentional at times.

And then there was the test coming up the next morning. To say the least, Rin was nervous, but she wasn't allowing it to control her. She knew that after all this time training in the Academy; she could not bear to be sent back. She _had_ to pass! But it seemed so difficult. Facing a Jounin? Even though they had the advantage of Kakashi, who was a Chunin, on the team, it hardly seemed fair. Now that she thought about it, teamwork was probably their best way to win.

Teamwork? Yeah right. Kakashi and Obito were complete _opposites_. How were they supposed to get along long enough for them to successfully defeat Arashi?

She could already place a bet; teamwork would not happen.

So she had to be as well prepared as possible to have to beat Arashi alone, manage to team up with _one_ of her teammates, or be sneaky and let them do the hard part.

Well, the last one was not an option. Even though she was better at healing than fighting, it would be a disgrace to all Kunoichi if she sat back and let the boys win _for_ her! Right now, she was hoping, almost wishing, that she was wrong and that Kakashi and Obito would manage to work together. All three of them could beat Arashi, she believed. And if not, well, at least would be able to heal anything that may happen to them, therefore playing her part as best as she could.

One thing was for sure. Tomorrow would be a big day. And she found herself praying for success.

_No. We _will_ win! We'll pass! I know we can!_

---

**Obito**

Like Fugaku had said, this training exercise was far more difficult than it had sounded.

Obito, upset as his lack of improvement so far, slid down the tree and got up. He had already been doing this for two hours, and so far, he was only able to go up as far as eight feet.

That wasn't nearly enough.

Dammit! Wasn't there an easier way to do this? Fugaku had made it look so easy. Was Obito really _that_ weak?

He silently cursed his cousin for giving him such a difficult task. This was supposed to help him master Gougakyuu? It certainly didn't feel like it.

Still, he felt like he was getting better. Somehow, he was. He had already begun to develop a better ability to control his chakra. He was getting it almost perfect; he was just having trouble maintaining that, and thus was losing his control too quickly. He had managed to figure out how to force out enough chakra to make a hole in the tree, which made it simple to mark new records before jumping back down.

Even so, he was still disappointed with his improvement so far. He wished he had asked Fugaku how long it had taken _him_ to master it, but tried to ignore the urge to go find him and ask. He needed to focus on improving, not getting angry at his cousin for being so good at these things.

Even an hour later, his record had only advanced to eleven feet. It was already late afternoon, and dusk was nearing. Obito knew it was a bad idea to stay out here, exhausting himself all night when he had to be ready tomorrow morning to face Arashi. But he wanted to master this exercise so _bad_!

Still, dusk came and went. The darkness was beginning to affect his ability to practice, since he could hardly see the dark tree as he ran up it. It was like running on an invisible path. _Upwards_.

He continued to practice nonetheless. He slid back down the tree after hitting about eighteen feet, and sat down to rest. He seemed to be improving now. He had been out here for about four or five hours and he was able to run six yards up the tree. It wasn't much, but it was something. He thought he was beginning to master the control, but he was spending so long doing this, he was beginning to run out of chakra.

"Alright," he said to no one in particular. He got back up, his balance returning, and prepared to continue with his annoyingly difficult training.

Unfortunately, he was interrupted.

"Hm… Interesting exercise." Obito stiffened when he heard the words, and turned, irritated to look up at the tree behind him.

"I'm gonna go out on a whim, and I mean_ really_ take a guess here, and say that… You didn't come up with this on your own?"

Hinote Katto was sitting comfortably on a thick branch, a satisfied smirk on his face, waiting for an answer.

"Shut up," Obito said. "This is…a lot harder than it looks."

Katto turned his head sideways, as if to look at the scene from a different angle. "Nope," he said. "Still doesn't look difficult. Am I supposed to be looking at it differently, then? Please, help me, Obito. I can't figure this out!"

"Shut up, you bastard!" He yelled, loosing his frustration upon his best friend. "If you think it's so easy, why don't you try?!"

"Sure."

Honestly, Obito had not been expecting Katto to accept to trying it himself. He mentally hit himself, realizing quite lately that this was what his friend had wanted in the first place. There could not be any other reason why he was being so annoying.

The red-clad rookie stood up on his branch, jumped down to the ground, and brought his hands together in a hand seal. He concentrated for a moment, before suddenly breaking into a run and continuing in a mad dash up the tree. He ran up twenty-five feet before jumping back down.

"I'd say," he said. "That was just a little further than your record. How long have you been out here, anyway?"

Obito turned his head away stubbornly. "I dunno, fifteen minutes?"

Katto was unconvinced. "No," he said, "seriously."

"…Four or five hours."

_Yeah. Laugh._

But Katto didn't laugh. Instead he did the last thing Obito had expected him to do.

"It's easier if you take a little longer to concentrate. The point is to get your chakra to your feet, right? You don't give it enough time to get there."

Obito sighed. "Thanks."

"No problem."

For two hours more Obito remained outside, practicing. Katto remained, deciding to join him a little longer. His record was only so much more than Obito's, after all. By the time they stopped, Obito had made it to thirty-five feet, and Katto to forty(2). Still, it was only about half way up the tree, so they knew they had more practice to do.

After stopping, they separated. As Katto left, Obito wondered just how he constantly managed to sneak onto Uchiha grounds without being noticed. Obviously, he was better than he ever let on in the Academy.

Obito had planned to find Fugaku and show him the results of the day, but the Chunin was nowhere to be found. Aside from that, the rest of the evening went just about normally.

---

The next morning came, and Obito woke up feeling refreshed and bustling with energy. Keeping in mind the advice Rin had given him the day before about leaving earlier so obstacles would only make him on time, he had woken up sooner than usual. The previous night, he had found his alarm clock lying around in one of the rooms of his house(3). He had set it up and set it to wake him up early, fully expecting his body to ignore it and oversleep; that way, he would wake up just on time. But he had awoken to the loud clock, therefore allowing him extra time to finish preparing and still be on time to leave (he had had even more extra time since Arashi had said not to eat breakfast).

Unfortunately, though, an obstacle still found him. Just as he was saying goodbye to his parents, Fugaku chose to appear for the first time that morning. Obito expected the Chunin to wish him luck or give him some of that advice he refused to give him the day before. Instead, Fugaku simply motioned for him to follow him.

He led Obito out to the training grounds and to the pond. Obito finally understood what he wanted.

"Uh… Fugaku, I don't think I have time for this. I'm gonna be late."

"You're always late, they'll get used to it. I had to leave last night before I could see how you had done (_Guess he didn't ditch me after all_), but now I want to see exactly what you learned."

Obito was about to say that he had a stickler for rules (like punctuality) on his team, but gave up and complied with Fugaku.

The Chunin stepped out of the way and waited, clearly letting Obito have as much time as he needed. Obito took a deep breath, and assumed he was supposed to try to use Gougakyuu. Thus he performed the correct set of seals with perfection (he had lain in bed all night practicing them in his nervousness), began to gather what he thought was a good amount of chakra (not so little that the fireball would fail, but not so much that he would waste chakra so soon), and blew.

The result amazed him. It seemed, as he had hoped, that the short training the yesterday had actually paid off. A steady stream of fire blew out of his mouth at a reasonable speed. A couple yards away it erupted into a large fireball, about nine feet in diameter.

Obito slowly let a smirk fall on his face and turned to face his cousin. Fugaku had an indifferent expression. The Chunin half-turned before speaking.

"The stream was thick and steady, and it ended at a good point. The fireball itself was twice as big as the last time, and you held it for as long as you will ever need to." Fugaku turned all the way, and forced his head as far around as it would go. "Good job." And he left.

Obito was delighted at the acknowledgement and could think of nothing better than to increase it. He was about to yell out to Fugaku to see how far up the tree he could run, but the Chunin was gone before he could say anything. Nevertheless, he wanted to see for himself, so he ran for the trees. Then he ran _up_ them.

He ran up several times, finally accepting that his current record as at about thirty-nine feet.

So _close_ to Katto's record! Damn!

"It's not so bad, though," he said to himself. "…Oh, shit!" It was only now that he realized he was going to be late.

Unfortunately for Obito, the streets of Konoha had chosen today to be extremely packed early in the morning. And there was also quite a number of old ladies that needed help for some reason or another.

Luckily, he only helped the only one that was actually there, abandoning the others that his eyes had lied to him about.

By the time Obito made it to training area number twenty-nine, he was a half-hour late. It only made things worse when he realized he was supposed to be at training area number _fifty_-nine.

Therefore, when he finally arrived at the right place, he was an _hour_ late.

He sped up, his destination in sight. He could already see Arashi's giant mop of yellow hair. But in his cheer to finally be where he was supposed to be, he hadn't noticed the traps conveniently set up where he was about to run through.

At first, he thought he saw a small flash; a moment later, he was pulling an invisible wire, which released two kunai to fly after him from opposite directions. He just barely dodged them, one cutting him on the arm. And yet, he watched as they bounced off each other, and one of the two kunai landed where it had been set to, cutting another wire and leaving Obito baffled as to its purpose. Even though he couldn't see anything happening, he could hear what sounded almost like fire.

Wait…fire?

Obito looked up. "Great." He said.

A log had been sitting on top of the trees, but it suddenly blew up into a thousand pieces, only to be set on fire by something hidden up in the trees. Therefore, Obito was now standing below hundreds of falling, _flaming_ shards of wood.

_Run._ And he did. He got out of the way of the wood shards. And just when he thought he was finally free, he tripped on one last wire.

"Ow." He said in irritation. He got up, wiped the dirt off his clothes, and found the rest of the team looking at him.

"Uh… I'm late?"

Kakashi walked over to him. "Yeah. Idiot."

"Shut up! I'll have you know, there's a very good reason why I'm late!"

"Oh? And what is it?"

"Um… I, uh, was training before I left. And then I got caught in traffic on my way here. And then I helped an old woman find her grandson."

None of them said anything.

"_Okay!_ After all that, I went to the wrong training area, and went through the same traffic to get here."

It was Rin that spoke first. "You mean…you were actually serious?"

"…Yeah?"

"…"

"…"

"…It doesn't matter," Kakashi said. "You're still late. By an _hour_. That's unacceptable of a shinobi. You plan on passing this test?"

"Yes, I do, and nothing you can say is going to ruin whatever is left of the good mood I had this morning."

"Hmph."

"Anyway," said Arashi. Obito turned around, the tension weakening. Kakashi gave Arashi his full attention.

"While Kakashi is right, and Obito needs to try to be more punctual, we all need to give each other a chance. Things may change. Don't kill each other on the second day. Besides, we don't even know if you're going to pass or not."

_Hmph. Like I'm gonna let myself fail. No way! I'm passing this test, no matter what!_

"The test itself is simple." Arashi reached for his pouch and pulled out three small bells. "You're job is to steal these bells from me. Anyone who gets a bell for themselves before noon passes. Anyone who doesn't fails. Also, should anyone not manage to get a bell by noon, you will be tied to one of those posts and forced to watch everyone else eat lunch right in front of your eyes." He was now pointing at three tall, wooden posts standing off to the side. On top of each post was sitting a boxed lunch.

_So that's why he said not to eat breakfast. Now I'm regretting listening to him._

"Ready?" He said. "Begin!"

And the three Genin disappeared.


	4. The Bell Test!

Chapter III

The Bell Test! Will Teamwork Bloom?

**Arashi**

"Ready? Begin."

Kazama Arashi beamed as the three young shinobi disappeared. The Jounin had been hoping for the best. The previous day they had seemed decent enough; he didn't want to have to fail them.

Standing still where he had been, Arashi moved his gaze off to the side to see if any of them were noticeable. Looking on both sides, he determined that they were all out of site.

That meant they were either watching for a good chance, or gone to prepare a trap. Either way, they were doing exactly what they were supposed to. Or, at least, exactly what the Academy told them to do.

Arashi was only hoping that they would be more creative than that. Otherwise, it would be obvious what they were doing.

Now that he thought about it, they did have a pretty good chance. His thoughts reverted back to the day before, remembering what each had said about him or herself, and what Arashi had extracted from them on his own. Aside from preparing the training grounds, Arashi had spent yesterday gathering extra information about the three. If he could find out that they were all pathetically weak and would never succeed, what would be the point of testing them? But in the end, he had liked what he heard.

He remained as he was for at least five minutes. For now, it seemed they had all gone. Arashi had almost decided to leave and go after them, when he noticed the faintest hint of chakra.

Hm… Genjutsu? Yes, definitely. Whichever one of them is doing it, they're doing a very good job keeping it hidden. I'd rather not underestimate the other two, but most likely, this is Kakashi…

Arashi suddenly spun around and hurled a kunai in the direction he felt the chakra coming from. Normally, he would attempt to release himself from it, but he was curious as to what Genjutsu skill any of them may have.

Whatever attempt at a Genjutsu it was, it disappeared immediately. Arashi waited, preparing for whatever came next. He knelt down, ready to jump, and squinted hard incase his aim had been true, and he had correctly pinpointed one of their locations.

A few moments passed before anything happened. Arashi's eyes snapped forward as a barrage of shuriken flew in his direction from deep within the trees. Experienced instincts told him to evade the assault, but Arashi merely grinned as he saw through the attack.

"Kyoushou Genshi no jutsu," he murmured. "The Hallucinating Assault technique. Clever. But does that mean…?" He thought as he half-spun. Kakashi was in the air, two kunai in one hand, the other holding and hiding something else. The young Chunin made no falter or hint of surprise or disappointment at seeing Arashi figure him out. Instead, he completed his attack.

Kakashi brought down the two kunai in a vicious slash. Arashi could only throw up his arm in defense, but he grinned nonetheless. He wondered vaguely if the Chunin had expected him to be prepared before he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind only a slashed log.

Arashi immediately reappeared near the posts, and quickly disguised himself. He inconspicuously transformed into a small boulder, watching Kakashi's next moved.

It seemed as though the Chunin had been prepared as well, as he revealed the hidden item in his hand to be a smoke bomb. He quickly let it loose and disappeared in a haze of purple smoke.

A cautious, yet frontal assault… So he was testing me?

Arashi's impression of the boy only increased. The attack had not been meant to do damage, but only to learn the extent of Arashi's reflexes and find out just how hard the Jounin was planning to go on the three of them. It was also a bonus that Kakashi could now predict more replacements.

An interesting kid, to say the least.

More interesting than Arashi thought, anyway. Because at that moment, Kakashi snuck up from behind and swung his leg in a loose kick towards what his eyes probably told him was an innocent boulder.

Arashi released the Henge and caught the boy's foot in his hand. Kakashi swung his right fist at him, but Arashi still caught it with the other hand. But the Jounin was beginning to see Kakashi's objective as his other leg came, aiming for the neck. Instead of striking, though, he merely used his foot as a hook, latching it onto Arashi's neck. The boy revealed in his free hand the smallest brand of kunai Arashi had ever seen, and he lashed out towards the bells.

Caught partly be surprise, Arashi jumped back, but Kakashi's foot remained anchored around his neck, therefore pulling the Chunin with him as he jumped. Kakashi grabbed Arashi's shoulder and flipped over the Jounin, his arm stretching towards the bells once more.

Arashi's right hand flew in front of Kakashi's, while his other pushed the Chunin's hand off his shoulder. Kakashi slid back and Arashi spun, as they both pulled out a kunai and met each other blade to blade.

"Well, Kakashi," Arashi began. "You're quite clever, I'll give you that."

"Hmph," retorted the Chunin. "Are you sure 'quite' is enough of a word?"

"We'll found out soon." Arashi feigned broking off from the stalemate and threw a left-handed punch at Kakashi. The Chunin's eyes widened as the punch connected, sending back a few feet. Kakashi threw his kunai at Arashi, but the Jounin merely knocked it away with his own.

Arashi closed his eyes and sighed, before looking at Kakashi once more.

"I realize you're a Chunin, but I sort of feel obligated to do this. After all, I do it to every other team I ever got, though none of them ever passed."

He took a few steps forward before speaking again.

"Shinobi Lesson Part One: Taijutsu."

Kakashi looked up, annoyed. "I'm already familiar with what Taijutsu is, thanks."

Hm. Are you really?

Arashi sprung forward at a very "decent" speed, aiming a powerful punch at Kakashi's face. The Chunin caught his fist with both hands, but Arashi knelt down and attempted to sweep the boy's legs off the ground. Seeing this, Kakashi jumped.

Realizing he could not keep a grip on Arashi's fist any more, Kakashi let go, but not before using it as a kick-off point to get him farther away. Arashi smirked, waiting for the Chunin to make the next move.

Kakashi knelt down on his knee, panting. Arashi noticed his hand move towards his leg. To some shinobi, it may have looked like Kakashi was injured. However, Arashi had yet to strike the boy's leg, which meant he was up to something.

Kakashi suddenly broke off in a run, grabbing a handful of shuriken and tossing them at Arashi. Said Jounin evaded the attack, but Kakashi appeared in front of him in the blink of an eye with a fist hurling towards Arashi's chest.

Arashi easily caught it with his right hand, expecting the next move to come from the opposite direction. But Kakashi's left leg moved forward in a tall roundhouse kick aimed to the ear. With precise timing and skill, Arashi shifted the fist over to his right hand and caught the foot in his left.

Well? What's next, Kakashi?

Kakashi's right leg lifted up, brushing the grass before pushing through the air at Arashi's stomach. Arashi frowned, and he let go of Kakashi's leg and hand for a moment. He threw forward both his hands, and, in a swift motion, pushed the boy back several feet through the air. Kakashi landed on his bottom, looking satisfied.

For a moment, Arashi was confused as to what satisfied the boy, before his eyes widened as he looked down. There, in the grass between his feet, lay an exploding tag.

He quickly jumped away before the explosion let loose, even still amazed at Kakashi's abilities.

Such skill, even at his age… Not only is he well-trained in Taijutsu, and I think I can assume, Genjutsu, but he is also well-developed in strategic thinking. Even now, when it's nothing more than a simple bout of Taijutsu, he thought two steps ahead and laid a trap that I hardly noticed in time. He's no ordinary kid. Nor is he any ordinary Chunin.

Kakashi's next move was rather unexpected. The boy's hand moved back behind his leg, where Arashi could almost see his fingers moving. Was he forming a hand seal?

Whatever he was doing, it was forgotten the moment his hand snapped forward, grabbing another handful of shuriken and tossing them in his direction. Arashi sidestepped to evade most of them, which were concentrated in one place, and caught the few that were still coming at him. He dropped them quickly when Kakashi ran towards him for another attack. Wasn't he thinking ahead? What could he possibly have this time?

Two fists shot towards each other, but Arashi's, being much longer, was the one to connect. However, Kakashi disappeared. A replacement.

Arashi grinned. Mimicking me, now, are you? Or did you learn something already?

Arashi took a few steps forward, waiting for what came next. For a few minutes he stood there. Had Kakashi given up? And where were the other two? Both of them had yet to do anything in an attempt to steal a bell. They had better hurry, he thought, or they were surely going to fail.

Arashi turned as an unfamiliar sound reached his ears. It had come from the left, where Arashi saw a kunai flash before his eyes before disappearing behind the many-branched trees. Had one of the Genin tried to set up an attack?

Arashi watched for a moment, but nothing happened. Apparently, someone had tried to set up some sort of attacking machine, but it had failed. Good god, where they that bad? They had left a pretty good impression on him yesterday! He cautiously stepped forward, and again, until the kunai he had seen was visible on the ground.

Just then, several kunai came flying from different points behind the trees. Arashi quickly grabbed one of his own, and knocked them each away as they came. Too easy.

Another shot from behind, and Arashi stepped to the side. This one was different. As it shot forward, he could just barely see an exploding tag wrapped around it. Nonetheless, Arashi stopped it with his kunai, and caught the ring on the end with the point of his kunai, swinging it and shooting the kunai back where it came from. It exploded half-way.

"It's going to take much more than that to beat me, you know." He said. So, who was doing this? It would seem very elaborate if it was Kakashi, but Arashi felt giving the others the benefit of the doubt and assuming it was one of them. The main question, though, was whether that was all they had.

Apparently not, he thought, as another shuriken was thrown from the treetops to his left. It came down, winding around, but Arashi had had enough time to step forward and dodge. As the shuriken passed him, however, he saw the almost-invisible wire that followed it, immediately turning his head around as the shuriken came back around and wrapped around him.

Interesting. I've never seen a Genin use this, so there's a likely possibility its Kakashi still. But even so, it's not enough.

Arashi, his kunai still in hand, stopped the wire as the shuriken wrapped around him one last time, and he spun, releasing himself. The wire undid itself, and Arashi stopped when it was completely unwound, but not without grabbing the shuriken and hurling it at a tree at the other end of the clearing, making an invisible trip wire across it.

But there was more to it than just that one attack, it seemed. Arashi heard a puffing sound behind him and turned, in horror, to see Kakashi springing at him from behind. The Chunin's hand met with the bells, but Arashi grabbed it before he could get a proper hold on it. He caught Kakashi's other arm with his own, and spun his right hand, releasing Kakashi's weak hold on the bells, and Arashi knocked him away with a strong kick.

He was behind me the entire time? That hand seal he made, it was to create the replacement. But that means…he replaced himself with one of his shuriken?

To confirm his theory, the Jounin turned to look at the exact area where he had been standing. And there it was; an innocent shuriken (as innocent as deadly throwing stars get) lying where Kakashi had disappeared minutes before.

So… the few minutes before he first attacked me, he spent setting this all up? Very elaborate, I suppose.

"Well done, Kakashi. Well done. You almost got a bell for yourself. Maybe next time you will?"

"Hmph."

Arashi smiled weakly, sliding into a Taijutsu stance once more. After that elaborate plan, what did Kakashi have next? Arashi was becoming more and more impressed with the boy as this fight continued. He waited for the Chunin to make his next move.

But if anything, he wasn't expecting to hear that one phrase, nor was he expecting it to come from where it did.

"Katon: Gougakyuu no jutsu!"

And Arashi spun around, only to see spewing flames fly in his direction.

---

**Obito**

"An advantage can easily come when you are hidden from your opponent. While they are unaware, you can prepare traps and think out the best of strategies possible. Another option may be to simply observe your enemy, and try to find a weakness. Therefore, it is important to always try to gain this advantage. If you are given the chance to slip away and watch your opponent while hidden, take it. Do not mistake strategy for cowardice!"

One of the few lessons Obito actually remembered from the Academy surfaced as Arashi uttered the starting words. He, like the other two, quickly escaped, planning to come up with an amazing strategy to wow and defeat the Jounin. But first, he had to watch.

Obito remained hidden in the trees, keeping his gaze locked on the Jounin. For a while, nothing happened. He knew Arashi would be watching for any sign of action, possibility catching someone in an attempt to form a trap or prepare an attack. What he needed most right now was some sort distraction to occur.

Luckily, he got it. After a few minutes had passed, Kakashi attacked Arashi. Obito watched as a large barrage of weapons flew at his new sensei, but was utterly baffled at how they seemed to merely fly through him without doing a thing. Was it a Genjutsu?

It was times like these that Obito really wished he had already unlocked the Sharingan. So many things would be so much easier to figure out…

Wait, this was his chance! Kakashi had come up from behind and was now fighting Arashi, which gave Obito the very chance he had wanted. The Uchiha quickly bounded off, pulling out several kunai and a special weapon he had picked up the previous evening before retiring for the night. The most awesome weapon in the world!

A wire.

Obito came to a stop at the edge of the clearing, making sure to keep himself hidden still. Before, continuing, he decided to sneak a peak at Arashi vs Kakashi. Hey, the names rhymed!

Anyway, Kakashi was jumping over Arashi's head. And he was…he was…

OH SHIT! HE WAS ABOUT TO GET A BELL!

Obito seethed at the thought that Kakashi had won already. But he released a sigh of relief when Arashi knocked him away and saved the bells. Thank god…

He suddenly remembered what he was supposed to be doing, and returned to the task at hand. Building a trap.

Several minutes passed by as Obito ran around setting up whatever he could, but when he was finally finished, he returned his attention to the fight between his teammate and his sensei. Kakashi was running at the Jounin, only to receive a hard punch to the face.

Good, he thought. He didn't want him interfering. It could mess things up.

Obito looked down at his hands, marveling at the skill he had attained over the years. It was important that an Uchiha be able to handle this thing, otherwise, there would be several techniques missing from his or her arsenal. Unfortunately, it was the Jutsu part of those techniques that Obito lacked.

But it was helpful here. Around seven out of eight fingers were each tied to a separate string, each one connected to a hidden kunai that would fly at a single tug. All Obito had to do now was wait for Arashi to move into position. And the eighth finger already had that covered.

Obito pulled on his left index finger. Unlike the others, it wasn't connected to a kunai to be shot. It was connected to a kunai to make noise and attract Arashi's attention. If Obito's calculations were right, and he oh so dearly hoped they were, Arashi would notice it and move right into range.

He faintly heard the sound of a kunai fail to launch. To the others, it probably sounded like a mistake had been made. But only to him did it sound like an intentional failure meant only to attract the prey.

Hah! Whoever said a loser had no advantages in battle lied! So many people expect me to mess up, so I trick them by pretending to! Let's see what Kakashi thinks of that

Arashi turned his head in the direction of the noise. Obito felt sweat drip down his face as he waited for the Jounin to move. But he didn't.

Come on, come on! Take the bait! You may be a Jounin, but please be stupid and take the bait!

As if God had heard his begging and decided to be nice for the first time in twelve years, Obito nearly jumped when he saw Arashi take a small step forward. The man looked confident, intrigued, and suspicious all at once. Did he know what Obito was up to?

No, no way! There's no way he could have figured me out! All I have to do is wait… Yes! He took another step forward! Come on! Just one more!

And one more came. Arashi took another step forward, and Obito mentally cheered. Now, he would give the Jounin a moment to relax before striking. If the attack came right as he stepped forward, he would jerk back quickly.

And… NOW!

Obito tugged on six strings, and, in groups, six kunai were launched from different locations all around the clearing. Obito saw Arashi suddenly spin around, a kunai appearing in his hand, seemingly out of nowhere. To Obito's utter dismay, he parried every single kunai.

Damn! But, I've still got one more! And even if it fails, there's the finish! There's no way he'll get away from what I have planned! Haha!

Before he could, however, another kunai was shot. However, he had not had any more kunai left. So that meant someone else was attacking, too?

Whoever it was, they had something he did not. Arashi had easily caught it with his kunai through the ring on the edge and shot it back, where it exploded. Whoever had followed up his attack must have stuck an explosion tag on it.

Obito pulled on the last string and watched as a shuriken was launched at a (hopefully) unsuspecting Arashi. At what seemed like the last minute, Arashi dodged it. Obito smirked as he used the wire to pull the shuriken back around.

The small throwing star swung around Arashi multiple times, leading Obito to believe it had succeeded. But as the shuriken made its last round, the Jounin lifted his kunai and stopped it at the edge of the wire, caught the shuriken in his hand, and tossed it across the clearing, where it 'pinged' as it was embedded within a tree.

Obito seethed, now forced to use his last attack. But then things messed up. And, actually, it turned out better for him.

Kakashi, apparently, had not left, but instead only replaced himself with one of his shuriken. As such, he had stolen Obito's moment to surprise Arashi. He snuck up from behind, and reached for the bells.

Wait…reached for the bells?

Dammit, the bastard had a bell in his hand! Noooooooo!

But apparently God was kinder than that, because Arashi managed to save the bell and knock Kakashi away. Again.

"Well done, Kakashi," Arashi said. Obito's ears perked up. "Well done. You almost got a bell for yourself. Maybe next time you will?"

Wait…did he…? Did he think… Did he think Kakashi had set that all up? Everything?

No! The bastard was getting credit for Obito's work!

RETRIBUTION!

And then Obito saw it: the perfect chance. Now, Arashi was focused on Kakashi, his greatest threat so far. If he attacked from behind, he would have a perfect hit, and he could get a hand on a bell!

He jumped out of the trees, forming a set of hand seals. He was about twenty feet away from Arashi, and five feet above. It was a perfect range.

"Katon: Gougakyuu no jutsu!"

A large fireball, slightly smaller than the one he managed earlier that morning, shot out of his mouth, straight at Arashi. Everything was going according to plan!

Except that before the attack reached Arashi, the stream of fire wavered, and the entire fireball dispersed.

Obito merely stood there, where he had landed, staring at what was his magnificent fireball, but was now just a few embers flying around. Arashi and Kakashi stopped, too.

N...no…Dammit! It was perfect! How did I mess up?!

"Tch." Obito jumped back and performed a different set of seals.

I can't get Gougakyuu perfectly at every attempt yet, I guess. But I can still use Housenka.

"Katon: Housenka no jutsu!" He yelled, releasing several small fireballs one after the other. Arashi jumped away, as did Kakashi. Obito continued firing in Arashi's direction, but none of the fireballs hit him.

"Damn," Obito said. The Jounin was too fast. Housenka was useless.

Speaking of Arashi, the man jumped back farther and spoke. "Impressive. Most Genin don't have the chakra or skill to use fire jutsu just yet."

Had he just been complimented?

Obito grinned. "I've got plenty more, Sensei!" He called. Somehow, his spirit returned to him, and the disappointment over the failed attack disappeared. He was ready for round two.

Arashi closed his eyes. "Let's see, then." He said, egging Obito on. He opened his eyes and slid into a Taijutsu stance. Obito and Kakashi did the same, both preparing to attack head-on.

Kakashi charged first, followed closely by Obito. Kakashi jumped and turned sideways, aiming a round-house kick to the top of Arashi's head. The Jounin blocked it with his forearm, as Obito ran in with a punch aimed at the stomach. Arashi caught his fist, and bent his other arm, pulling Kakashi towards him, before pushing them both away. Obito hardly moved backwards due to the lack of force in the push, but Arashi compensated by kicking him away with a sidekick.

Nevertheless, Obito didn't back down, and pulled out several shuriken. Kakashi attacked Arashi from behind with a pair of kunai in hand, but the Jounin caught his arm and knelt down on his knees. He was about to lift Kakashi, but Obito let loose his shuriken. They were too close for Arashi to jump away, and too low for him to dodge in any other way, except by jumping up. But as he did so, Kakashi wrapped his legs around Arashi's waist, his left arm around Arashi's neck while his right caught Arashi's own. The Jounin was completely immobilized.

Obito smirked. "This time, we've got you, Arashi-sensei!" He leapt forward, right arm in a fist and threw as hard a punch as physically possible for him to Arashi's chest. For a moment, he thought they had succeeded, but Arashi disappeared in a puff of smoke, a boulder taking place.

Obito's fist pushed the boulder into Kakashi's stomach and knocked the Chunin back. Arashi reappeared behind Obito, holding one kunai in each hand to the Uchiha's neck.

"Damn," said Obito. Now what? They had pretty much lost. Even together, they couldn't stand up to the Jounin.

"Do you see?" Arashi asked. Obito was confused as to what the Jounin was asking. See what?

"Neither of you could defeat me alone. So you fought together. Even the blindest idiot could figure out in a split second that you two are like water and oil, and yet you still teamed up on me. And you know what? You almost beat me! You almost got the bells! Twice, even, though you may not realize it."

The Jounin removed the kunai from Obito's neck and stepped backwards, returning the kunai to his shuriken holster.

"Let's try it again. You may succeed this time. After all, third time's a charm."

Obito and Kakashi charged, and engaged the Jounin in battle once more. They fought for what seemed like hours, throwing wild punches and silently coming up with simple yet effective tricks, catching onto each other's intentions and learning each other's unique habits and styles.

In short, they were fighting like true teammates.

Obito grinned, throwing another useless kick at Arashi's back. He wasn't sure, but he thought he had a very weird feeling. It wasn't pain, and it wasn't anything bad. In fact, it was a great feeling! He was having fun, that was it! He was fighting for his right to be a Genin in a battle almost useless against such a skilled opponent. Nevertheless, he found he was enjoying this more and more as the fighting continued.

But finally, Arashi knocked them both away. To his surprise, Obito stumbled backwards and fell, landing with a thud. He was panting hard, and, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kakashi doing the same. They were both exhausted, though Kakashi not as much as Obito. Arashi, however, was perfectly fine. In fact, the only signs that he had been fighting were the few scratches over his body. Obito and Kakashi were now covered in bruises, their bodies aching.

Arashi turned to the posts, where the clock sat. He squinted, trying hard to read the time from so far away, and turned back. "Well," he said. "You guys have three hours left. I'd suggest you retreat and rest, and try to formulate a different plan of attack." With nothing more to say, he disappeared in a gust of wind and leaves.

Obito slowly stood up, looking at Kakashi. Said Chunin was already up, turning around. "He's right," Obito thought he heard him say, before he retreated back into the trees. Obito nodded, and did the same, only heading in a different direction.

That part of the test was over. Arashi was no longer anywhere in the clearing, Obito knew that for sure. From here on, it was a chase in the woods. Except, he remembered from the many Academy lectures, he no longer knew whether anyone he saw was a teammate or Arashi in disguise.

---

**Rin**

Iyasu Rin sighed, as both Kakashi and Obito retreated. She should have jumped in! What was keeping her back? If she had just joined the fighting, then they may have gotten the bells! And as a team no less; just as Arashi seemed to want them to do.

It was frustrating. The three of them had been out there fighting for nearly an hour. She had had plenty of chances to jump in, but each time a new one arose, she told herself 'not yet'. Every time she convinced herself to wait for a better chance, but the one she apparently wanted never actually came.

So in the end, she decided that she would do her best now, when everyone was running around in the forest. Obito and Kakashi were probably hurt, if only a little. So she would find them, and try to get everyone to team up. They were like water and oil, anyone could see that, but they had teamed up just now. So they could do it again.

The only problem was finding them. From what she had seen, the woods surrounding this training ground were huge. Not only were they bound to pass each other without noticing but there was also Arashi. He could easily Henge into one of them and try to trick her. But he was alone, so they could not use that tactic against him.

However, that was an even bigger problem than it seemed. If it was Arashi, then she would have to get pretty close to him to try to release any Genjutsu. Too close, she thought, because it would leave her open. Therefore, the only way to find out if it's Arashi or a teammate was to attack anyone she ran into.

Good thing she was a Medic-nin.

Mimicking Kakashi's earlier tactic, Rin pulled out a kunai in her right hand and a smoke bomb in the other. It was pretty clever. Maybe she could learn a lot more from this guy…

Back to the task at hand, she thought, departing. She had to make sure to get away from where she was right now. She had launched a tagged kunai from there, and there was a likely possibility Arashi would remember where it had come from. If her luck was really that bad, then he would, and she would become his very first target.

So she ran, keeping as silent and cautious as possible, and trying to pay attention to anything in the surrounding area. As she landed on yet another tree branch, the sound of moving leaves caught her attention.

She spun, ready to attack the first thing she saw, but nothing was there. She looked in every direction, but found nothing. So what had she heard? She answered her own question when she spotted a small bush below her. Had she heard someone hiding inside it? That seemed the most likely possibility. After all, where else would anyone hide?

She jumped to the next branch to keep away from any surprise attacks that may come from the bush, and waited. A few seconds passed before, at last, something happened. But it wasn't the bush. In fact, it came from behind.

Once again, Rin spun, her kunai held tight in her hand.

"Rin!" It was Obito. "Good. I found you." The Uchiha jumped over to the same branch as her and smiled. "Listen, I thought that we could team up. It would make things a lot easier for the both of us. I mean, you saw how Kakashi and I almost beat Arashi-sensei there, right? If we team up, I'm sure we'll beat him!"

Hm… That did sound like him. But Rin wasn't too sure yet. "Just the two of us? What about Kakashi? The two of you almost beat Sensei, but you didn't. I imagine that means that the two of us would have the same results. So with all three of us working together, we would have an even better chance. Don't you think?"

Now for his answer.

"What?! No way! I'm sure the two of us can do it on our own! I worked together with Kakashi because we both happened to be attacking Arashi-sensei, that's it. But I'd rather not have to, he's such a jerk!"

That was about what she expected. But for some reason, she had thought the real Obito might concede. Hm…

There was no way to tell if he was real or not. And that left only one option: she would have to attack. If she was right, then she would land a good hit on Arashi, and maybe, if she was lucky, even get the bells! But if it was Obito, then at least she would be able to heal him immediately after.

"Okay, that's…that's fine. But, you're hurt, right? I saw you get hit by Arashi-sensei's kunai. Let me heal you, here…"

It was a waste of chakra, but if it succeeded, it would be worth it. She leaned forward, her hand glowing in a faint, green light. Indeed, there was a tear in hit jacket that was slightly covered by red. He didn't seem to have any reaction to it. Maybe it was the real him after all? No, no, she couldn't doubt it! She couldn't pull back now! She had to do it!

In a fierce burst of determination, she changed the healing hand into a chakra scalpel. As small and inexperienced as it was, it remained sharp. Her hand only inches away, she slashed at what she hoped was not Obito. However, he (whoever "he" was) had seen the attack and jumped back out of the way. But Rin continued the assault, throwing her kunai at him despite the small distance between them.

The kunai struck him in the arm, causing blood to spew forth from it. Rin gasped as he remained exactly the same. Was it really him after all? No! She had attacked her own teammate!

"O…Obito, I'm so sorry…! I-I thought you were Arashi-sensei! Please, here, let me heal that!" She grabbed his arm and pulled the kunai out, immediately beginning to heal his arm. "I can't believe I did that… I was so sure you were Arashi-sensei in disguise."

Fortunately, the boy merely smiled. "That's alright," he said. "Because, well…"

To her utmost shock, a burst of smoke replaced Uchiha Obito with Kazama Arashi. "You were right."

His legs bent quickly, and he swept her off her feet with a quick motion. Standing up, he formed a hand seal that looked like Nezumi, the rat, and spoke. "Shinobi lesson part two: Genjutsu."

And she immediately fell unconscious.

---

**Kakashi**

Hatake Kakashi was never the kind to go looking for a teammate to work together with against the enemy. But at this point, there was really nothing else he could do. Besides, he was up against the Yellow Flash. Sure, that sounded difficult, but in all honesty, he had to admit, it was far more difficult than he had expected.

He had been unsure whether or not Arashi would go all out against them; his logical instinct immediately said no. However, one could never be too sure, so Kakashi had decided to be as prepared as possible. He hadn't expected himself to be toyed with so easily by the man, especially since he wasn't even using the amazing technique he was so famous for. That fact alone made Kakashi almost fear the man, wondering just how powerful he was when he was using the Flying Thunder God technique; when he was going all out against the enemy. It was maddening, thinking of going up against someone that powerful.

Luckily, he was only fighting him at his weakest.

Or, well, was he lucky? Did lucky include that? After all, he would have been lucky to get any other Jounin as a sensei, someone he would have at least stood a chance against. No, even when Arashi was hardly trying, it was still bad luck to end up against him. Good thing he would be an ally once this damned test was over.

So right now, his plan was to meet up with at least one of his teammates. He preferred working alone, but he knew he would never succeed without their help.

It was perfectly understandable, though, why he hoped it would be Rin to be the first teammate to cross his path. He preferred not to be working with Uchiha Obito. As good a teammate as he made earlier when the two of them were fighting together, it didn't make up for the impression Kakashi had had of him at first. Though, perhaps after time being exposed to Kakashi, Obito would be like the other Uchiha and 'copy' some of Kakashi's personality. It would certainly be a good change.

Argh, he was thinking too much. Right now he just needed to focus on finding one of his teammates without running into Arashi. However, 'finding one of his teammates' had formed a different picture in his mind than what he had 'found'.

After all, he wasn't expecting to find Rin lying in the grass, unconscious.

_She must have run into Arashi, then. I can't imagine Obito doing this. He doesn't have the purpose nor the skill._

Either way, he could tell already she wasn't just unconscious. She was under the effect of a Genjutsu. He leaned down, placing two fingers on her forehead, and with the others, formed half of the Tiger seal.

"Kai!" (Release!)

The girl slowly opened her eyes. She looked a little dazed, but she would snap out of it quickly. Very quickly.

Suddenly, her eyes snapped completely open, and she jumped up, grabbing a kunai from her shuriken holster.

"I won't fall for it again!" She yelled. Arashi must have gotten her with a Genjutsu, he deduced. What else could have left her this way and caused that reaction? Not much that he could think of.

"Relax," he said. "I'm not Arashi."

"Prove it!"

"…"

Well, that was a problem. How was he going to prove he was not Arashi? He had no past experiences with her that Arashi had been absent to, so there was nothing only they would know that Arashi would not.

Hmm…

There was only one thing he could think of, and even that wasn't definitely going to earn her trust. Not at first, anyway, but it was the best he could do. He bent down, and took off his shuriken holster, as well as his pouch, and tossed them both to her. Sighing, he also took off his white chakra blade and gave it to her.

"Do what you need to be sure that I'm the real guy. There's no other way to earn your trust."

Rin seemed half-convinced by this action, so he stood there and waited. She seemed to be thinking. Hopefully, she was coming up with a test that she believed would determine whether he was Kakashi or he was Arashi. At last, she locked gazes with him. There was a fierce look in her eyes, as if just glaring would make him, who she believed to be Arashi, 'show his true colors'.

"What's Shinobi Rule #16?"

"A shinobi must always be ready to die protecting his Kage." He said immediately. Was she doing what he thought she was doing?

"Shinobi Rule #21." She said.

"Never act on your own when there is a plan to be followed."

"Number 33?"

"The team leader is to be followed at all times."

"Twenty-six?"

"Never let emotions control your actions."

"Number 59?"

"It doesn't exist."

She stared hard at him, apparently making final decisions.

"Alright," she said. "I believe you. You're Kakashi."

Kakashi sweatdropped. Had "Rules and Regulations" been the only impression he made on her so far?

Well, at least he had gained her trust.

"Good." He said. "Now, I've got an idea. Before, Obito and I were just going head-to-head with him out in the open. But here in the woods, we can have the advantage of surprise. That's probably all we'll need in order to beat Arashi."

"Speaking of Obito," Rin said. "Don't you think…all three of us should team up? I mean, that would give us an even bigger advantage, right?"

Damn. Kakashi had been hoping she wouldn't bring that up. He was sure the two of them could handle it. He wanted to avoid working with Obito if possible. But, he supposed, she was right; they would do a much better job with three people than two. After all, Obito didn't seem too incompetent.

"Only if we run into him. These woods are pretty big, so there's a chance we won't see him even once. And even then, Arashi could disguise himself as Obito. Our best plan right now is to formulate a strategy, find Arashi, and execute it. If we run into Obito, the real Obito, mind you, then we can add him to the team. But we have to be cautious."

She nodded. "Fine."

Kakashi briefly looked down at the branch he stood on, and looked back at her. "For now, our best strategy would be to capture him in between us. If we can, I distract him, and feint an attack. Go for the bells with a kunai and try to cut them off, but pretend you didn't. We'll switch roles and I'll get the bells."

"It's a little vague, but I suppose it fits well with situation. It's the kind of strategy where you just have to go with the flow because either you don't know enough about your enemy or you know that you can't beat them normally."

"Exactly. But, if we're particularly unlucky and he decides to use his real abilities, then we're…well, we're screwed. If that happens, the best we can do is to just give up."

"Why? What's his real ability?"

"You'll find out eventually. Let's just hope it's not before noon today."

From the look on her face, Kakashi could tell she wanted to know more. But being that there was a more important situation to be dealt with, she let it go.

"Let's go." He said, and they both headed out.

Surprisingly, they saw no sign of his presence for nearly twenty minutes. The woods weren't that big. Kakashi was pretty sure they had nearly circled the entire area by now. Arashi was definitely moving, and a lot. That meant that either he was doing exactly what they were (unlikely) or he was fighting Obito somewhere (likely).

Either way, he was about to find out. With chakra-powered senses, he could feel a faint scent of human close by. He could also feel a slight disturbance in the air, created by fast motion. Which meant someone was coming their way, and fast.

No, strike that. Two someone's were heading their way.

So either Arashi could use Kage Bunshin or both he and Obito were coming straight at them. Personally, Kakashi hoped it was the first one. The second would be such a more complex situation to handle.

"Hey!" Kakashi and Rin stopped, both looking to their left. Obito was standing there, waving and jumping from branch to branch towards them. "I finally found you guys!" He stopped one branch away.

"And good thing it's both of you, too. Otherwise, it could be Arashi-sensei."

He went to take a step over to their branch, but Kakashi hastily unsheathed his chakra blade and pointed at him threateningly. "Don't move," he said. "We still don't know if you're Arashi or Obito."

Though, after what he said, he could very well be Obito. That, or Arashi's a good actor, considering he's only had about fifty minutes' worth of exposure to Obito. And most of that time was just silent fighting, not conversation.

"H-hey! Just calm down! It's the real me, seriously! I can prove it! Look–" He was cut short by a barrage of shuriken. Obito jumped away just at the right time, narrowly avoiding injury.

Another Obito landed on the same branch, with anger in his eyes.

"Don't listen to him! Rin, Kakashi, he's Arashi-sensei! He tried to tie me down so I couldn't interfere, but it didn't work! I got out, and now I'm gonna expose you, sensei!"

Kakashi tensed up a little. Now what? He hadn't considered the possibility that they would run into two Obitos. Actually, he had never encountered the situation in his entire life. So he figured he would just have to sit and watch what happens before deciding on the next course of action.

Rin vocalized his own concerns, but he told her exactly what he had told himself.

The two Obitos, both determined to prove they were the real one, were now fighting each other.

"I guess," he said, speaking to Rin only. "We're either going to have to attack both or wait for one of them to win, then take on him alone. Chances are, Arashi will beat Obito. I, personally, would prefer the second option."

"Me too," she said. "Though I don't like the idea of letting Obito get beat up. And what if Arashi fakes a loss? We'll be attacking the real Obito!"

"That's a risk we'll just have to take."

She was visibly shocked; her mouth was agape, and she was staring him in the face, horror in his eyes. "You don't care if your teammate gets hurt? What if this was a real life situation? He would be killed, and you would be willing to just sit here and watch?"

"Relax. This isn't a real life situation. It's a survival test, against a man who I doubt would ever consider so much as stabbing us, let alone killing us. Anything that happens to Obito you can heal. And even if it were, jumping in would make it worse for us. We could all end up hurt, or dead, or whatever. So save the real-situation decisions for a real situation."

She looked away and nodded, obviously hesitant. She would get used to this life eventually, he thought. Everyone did. Or, everyone had to. It was that, or give up the shinobi life.

The two Obitos were going at it at about the same level. Whichever one was Arashi, he was doing a very good job keeping this a weapons-only battle. If they started using Taijutsu, no doubt the real Obito would begin using the Uchiha style of Taijutsu, which Arashi would never in his lifetime be able to mimic.

One of the Obitos attacked with shuriken, but the other dodged by jumping up a few branches. The other one followed him up.

Taking advantage of the fact that they were both out of earshot, Kakashi immediately spoke. "This is taking too long. It's a perfect stalemate. If we don't do something, we'll run out of time."

"So what do we do?"

"We have to join the fight. But not how you imagine. We're both going to transform into Obito, and we're also going to have kunai sticking out of our pockets. That way, we will be able to recognize each other. There's more, and I'll tell you that in a minute, after we've transformed. There's no telling when they'll look at us again."

"This…is going to be one strange battle."

"I never said it wouldn't be."

---

**Rin**

Being a shinobi was unmistakably something that would fall into the "strange things may happen" category. Right now, Rin could not agree with that more. After all, fighting two enemies that looked exactly like you with one ally who also looked exactly like you sort of proved that, didn't it?

Rin looked at Kakashi, who nodded his head. Both of them, now perfect copies of Obito, placed kunai in each of their pockets and began making their way towards the other two.

Speaking of the other two, they were currently in the middle of a stalemate, throwing shuriken after shuriken, only to have each one ricochet off the others'. Rin and Kakashi subtly made their way above the two, preparing to lunge down in surprise. If they played it right, they would be able to confuse both of them, and make them think it was a free-for-all Obito battle.

Waiting, they watched as Arashi and Obito went at it. Obito didn't seem to realize that if he switched to the Uchiha Taijutsu style, he might give a better fight.

…Or was it that he didn't know it?

Forgetting that thought, Rin looked at Kakashi. He raised his hand, counting down by fingers. Five…four…three…two…

ONE! Rin swung off the tree branch she was standing on and fell down on the unsuspecting Obitos. Both of them looked up in shock. Apparently, neither of them had expected two more Obitos to jump down from the sky. Not that she was surprised.

The four-person battle began immediately. Rin took on the Obito closer to her, while Kakashi fought the other. Their initial plan was to fight this way, and hope they would be able to force Arashi to reveal himself. Neither of them expected it to work, which was why they had a more complex plan that would probably work. Hopefully.

Rin lunged forward, kunai in hand, and met her opponent's kunai in a standoff. She grabbed a shuriken from her shuriken holster, held it firmly in her hand, and attempted to slash Obito with it. The Uchiha dodged. There was a look on his face that clearly said he didn't want to be fighting her.

So was he maybe the real Obito? No! Last time she suspected that, she got tricked! She knew already that Arashi seemed to be a very good actor, especially when considering how much time he had spent in Obito's presence. But was he really able to pull off a look like that? Something inside her told her that this really was Obito. So it probably was, she thought.

Unless, of course, Arashi was sexist and didn't want to fight a woman (the fact that there was no way he could know if this was her or Kakashi did not occur to her). In which case, she wouldn't mind kicking his ass, teacher or not! But first she needed to figure out how to beat a Jounin senseless.

Her attention centered on the fight once again when the Obito in front of her aimed a punch to her stomach. His other hand had abandoned his kunai and captured hers. She leaned back and blocked his punch with a swift maneuver of the knee, and then proceeded to kick him in the chin.

The boy flinched and jumped back. Biting his lip, he pulled out another kunai. Was this battle ever going to become more than just weapons?

Suddenly, a shuriken whizzed by, nearly hitting her in the face. Following it was Obito. Wait; was it the same Obito she was fighting? No, he was still in front of her. So it had been one of the others. Was it Kakashi or someone else?

She glanced to her left to look at the Obito that had been knocked back. There was no kunai in his pocket. So Kakashi had been the one to land a hit? Good.

The Obito that had hit stood up, half smiling, half grimacing. Hoping he was Arashi, Rin turned around and punched him in the stomach. The Obito she had previously been fighting looked at her and Kakashi, before biting his lip and lifting one of his legs. He spun on his foot, and delivered a tall roundhouse kick to the other Obito's head. Behind them, Kakashi chucked several pointy objects. It seemed that they had all teamed up against one Obito.

Said Obito jumped onto the tree behind him and narrowly evaded the barrage of weapons Kakashi had thrown. He ricocheted off the tree and landed several yards away. Rin and the other two turned to face him. The four now formed a square, all in a face off.

Glancing at her hip, Rin saw that one of the kunai had fallen out of her pocket. Looking over at the others, she saw that, apparently, the same had happened to Kakashi. None of the Obitos were carrying kunai in their pockets. Luckily, she didn't need to worry. It was at this point that Kakashi's true plan came into motion.

Rin quickly launched into several hand seals, and replaced herself with a previously-prepared rock. She and another Obito both exploded in a gust of smoke. They both ditched the Henge, and took their replaces, each reappearing behind one of the other two Obitos. They each had two kunai, ready to cut their prisoners' throats and chests.

"Alright," said Kakashi. "We've got both of you. Whichever one of you is Arashi, get rid of the Henge. Or we'll be forced to finish both of you."

The Obito Rin held gulped. Was that Arashi acting, or the real Obito, fearing that Arashi would not reveal himself and he'd get hurt? Rin really didn't want to have to hurt either of them. But Kakashi had beaten (not physically, of course) it into her head that she would have to do it. The only reassurance was that they wouldn't kill the two, and she would be able to heal them both later.

The Obito that Kakashi had captured chuckled. "Well done," he said. "Truly. But I'm afraid this isn't over just yet."

And suddenly, Kakashi held only a log.

"Tch," said the Chunin. "We almost had him. But at least now we know which Obito is the real one."

"Dammit," said Obito. "You had to threaten? I thought Arashi wouldn't speak, and you really would spear me!"

Kakashi tossed the log aside, and bent down. His head on the branch, he closed his eyes. He seemed to be listening, but to more than just the tree.

"Hey! What're you doing?" Obito asked. Kakashi ignored him, and continued to listen.

Obito's baffled expression only became further confused. "Uhh…"

"He's listening to see if Arashi-sensei is near." Said Rin. "You can hear footsteps through the ground and the trees if you listen closely. And you can feel disturbances in the air currents, too. So stay quiet. Sensei might still be near."

Obito instantly quieted down, allowing Kakashi to do the job of finding Arashi. After a few minutes, the Chunin stood up and sighed.

"He's not near. Not close enough to listen to us, anyway. That gives us a chance to form a plan."

"What kind of plan?" Asked Obito.

"We've got about two hours left for this test," Kakashi said. "We can spend a little of it resting and planning, then prepare, and then we attack."

"Hey! You didn't answer my question! What kind of plan?"

Kakashi turned an irritated eye to him, but Obito didn't seem to mind. He was friends with that Katto guy. He probably got that look a lot.

"I don't know yet. I'm thinking, so quiet down, before your voice kills my eardrums."

Obito looked like he was about to say something back, but stopped.

Kakashi seemed to be taking his time, thinking. Obito turned to Rin, whispering, "Hey, why are we teaming up with this guy, anyway? We could take sensei by ourselves! We don't need him!"

"That's what he said about you."

"What?!"

"Yeah. He said exactly the same thing. But the two of us still failed. And the two of you already fought sensei together once. So I'm pretty sure that all three of us already realize that unless we all work together, we can't win."

"Yeah, I guess… Still, I don't like him."

"I know."

Silence followed. Both Obito and Rin watched Kakashi, who didn't seem to care that four eyes were on him. He didn't speak at all. Was he unable to think of a plan?

Slowly, as the time passed, Rin found herself thinking of a plan, too. When it suddenly came to her, she almost yelled in excitement. But she knew better than to do that.

"I've got it!" She said. "Not an entire plan, but I've got something!"

Kakashi gave her his attention, and Obito gave her a curious look.

"It's a bit complex, but I think it might just work. And if I'm right, he won't even see it coming!"

"So what is it?" Asked Obito.

"Alright, listen. It starts off like this."

And so the plan took form.


	5. Success! The Genin Life

**Chapter IV**

Success! The Genin Life

**Arashi**

Kazama Arashi wore a broad smile, even as the wind cut his face. He was not a sadist, enjoying his own pain, but h definitely did not mind the other pain he bore. It was not much, but to him it was proof that this new squad was doing very well.

In fact, at this rate, he thought he just might pass them regardless of whether or not they managed to steal the bells. After all, it wasn't like he was making this easy. Most teams would probably have failed by now. But these three were not only talented, but were also, slowly, teaming up, just as he had hoped every team would eventually do. Yes he had a very good feeling about this team.

He knew that once he told the other Jounin who he had passed, Kakashi would instantly receive all the attention and credit. If that were the truth as to how they passed, then Arashi would not pass them in the first place. Obito and Rin had already proven themselves to be capable, talented young shinobi who deserved just as much credit as Kakashi did for their success thus far.

Needless to say, his expectations were growing with every battle he fought against them. The first fight, against Kakashi and later Obito, too, showed that they were both skilled for their age. And even though he had managed to capture Rin in a Genjutsu, she had returned the favor later by capturing him alongside Kakashi, and driving him off, leaving both of them with Obito, whom they had probably just added to their little team. He had little doubt this contest would last much longer; now that they were working as the three-man-team they were meant to be, they were going to achieve victory.

_Even individually, they are all strong in their own way,_ he thought. It was true. Kakashi was already a Chunin, despite his age. Rin was capable of medical Ninjutsu, a skill not only difficult to master for someone her age, but for any shinobi at all. And Obito, who possessed Uchiha blood, had shown a great deal of potential, despite his grades in the academy. Arashi could tell they were all going to make something out of themselves.

For the time being, he hid. He couldn't deny that he had suffered a few wounds during that fight, and he had exhausted some energy keeping up the Henge and fighting at the same time. And for now, he wanted to give the three of them time to plan out an attack and put teamwork to use. He wanted to see how well they fought together, and whether or not they complimented each others skills. It was important information to know, after all, for the team leader.

He waited for a while, before deciding to move out. By now, they would definitely have made some sort of strategy. So it was time to test them out. Arashi left his hiding spot and made his way back into the tops of the trees, hopping around from one to the other. His search did not take long, however, as he was attacked almost immediately.

A shuriken flew out of the trees, but Arashi easily sidestepped it. The shuriken whizzed by, but turned around, wrapping around Arashi's arm and embedding it in his arm. Almost simultaneous with the previous capture, another shuriken came from the other direction and caught his other arm in the same way.

Arashi, caught slightly off guard, looked left and right, pinpointing the locations where the shuriken had come from. Behind him, he heard the ruffle of a bush, and spun his neck as far as he could, enough to see Rin lunging at him, her hand glowing a faint green.

_A chakra scalpel again?_

He smirked, crouching down. In his mind, he was running through any common strategy they could be attempting. At the same time, he jumped up as Rin's arm reached out and landed on her shoulders. He pushed her hard, throwing the girl in front of him. She stumbled, but her balance returned quickly, and she spun, prepared for another assault.

"You know this isn't enough. So what is it you're up to?" He said.

"Like we'd tell you." Rin responded, and lunged once again. Arashi threw out his leg in an attempt to push her away, but she caught it with her left hand. From the look on her face, he assumed she was trying hard to restrain it. However, she continued by catching his other leg under her foot, leaving him without any limbs to use, while she still had a hand and a chakra scalpel.

Rin thrust her arm forward. Assuming she was attempting another chakra scalpel, Arashi tried to bend his back outward, moving his stomach farther away. But Rin simply smirked, and jumped away. Before Arashi could take another step, he felt a powerful jolt shoot through his body, pain he could only associate with electricity.

"Dendou Myaku no jutsu," he heard from above. Kakashi stood, crouched, on the branch above him, his hands one on top of the other. "Electric Pulse technique." He saw sparks of electricity running through the tree in his direction.

Well, they seemed to be doing pretty well. Arashi was still trying to figure out how they could possibly have had enough chakra to do all this, after the fighting they had been through before. Could they have taken soldier pills?

Nevertheless, he smirked, even as he lost the feeling in his legs. Slowly, he began to lose feeling higher up in the stomach, too. So far, their plan was clever, to capture him like this. But there had to be more….

Oh. There was.

Obito, who Arashi had been beginning to doubt was in on this whole plan, jumped out of the trees behind him. The young Uchiha performed a set of hand seals, calling out, "Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"

Following the words were several fireballs, the same as before. Last time, had he managed at the first shot, Obito would have taken Arashi by surprise and _maybe_ hit him. But this time, Arashi was captured and unable to move. Which meant the fireballs would hit him dead on.

Unfortunately for the Team 5 trio, wires could be pulled. Arashi turned in a swift motion, pulling his left arm forward and his right arm to the edge of his back, effectively placing the wires in the way of the flames. One of the fireballs hit it dead on, and Arashi was free on one side.

Kakashi lunged from above, kunai and shuriken in hand, but Arashi evaded the assault. Kakashi recovered quickly and ran after him. Rin suddenly appeared behind him, and Obito leapt forth from the branch he had previously stood on. He was cornered.

"I'll repeat myself," he said. "It's _still_ not enough."

"Don't be too sure, sensei," said Obito. The boy lunged at him, but Arashi jumped to his left. Predicting his movements, Kakashi and Rin did, too, leaving them in the same position they had just been in. With Kakashi in front, Rin behind, and Obito to his right, they would obviously all expect him to go right, therefore doing exactly as they had just done. So they probably thought his other option would be to go up.

Well, who said he was predictable?

Arashi bent his knees in preparation to jump. He saw that Kakashi and Obito did too, so he assumed Rin was doing the same. But to their obvious surprise, Arashi took a step to the left and jumped down, off the branch.

A smirk plastered across his face, as he ran forward at a speed none of them could match, effectively making his escape. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw them all following him, but only Kakashi could keep up. Arashi emerged from the trees within the opening where they began, and found himself once more at its center.

Seconds later, Kakashi emerged as well, holding several weapons in his hands. The Chunin launched a pair of kunai from his right. Due to the distance, Arashi was able to pull out one of his own. He moved enough to evade one, and knocked the other away, catching it with his other hand. Kakashi landed in front of him, about ten meters away.

Arashi risked a glance to each side, locating the clock and noting that they had no more than twenty minutes left or they failed.

Suddenly, from behind, Obito jumped out from the treetops, forming several seals, and inhaling a large amount of air. Arashi prepared to avoid the giant fireball he knew was coming. But it never did.

Instead, Obito exhaled, exploding into a cloud of smoke. Rin emerged from it, following two kunai that were aimed for Arashi. The Jounin heard Kakashi, behind him, throw out some too. All he could do was jump to the side, towards the stream at the end of the clearing. But immediately as he jumped, the real Obito emerged from the trees, not far away from him, and exhaled a real, giant, fireball. There was no time to move, no time to use a replacement. So instead, he used a jutsu.

"Mizu Kyousha no jutsu!" (Water Spear technique!) He cried. He felt the blazing heat of the fireball strike, but immediately a giant spear of water erupted from the stream and put out most of the fire. Nevertheless, Arashi found he was burned in several places, and embers were flying around everywhere.

He coughed several times, before eyeing the two Genin and one Chunin standing before him, all looking apprehensive.

"You've tried that one several times," he said. "But at no attempt did it work. So why try again?"

"Who said it failed sensei?" Said Obito, in a tired voice.

_What?_

And suddenly, the kunai Arashi held in his left hand, the one Kakashi had thrown and that he still held, erupted into smoke, and he felt two legs hit him hard on the side, pushing him away. Arashi was pushed away, almost falling down, but as the smoke cleared, he saw Kakashi holding the three bells.

"Distracted, sensei?" He asked.

Somehow, he was confused. Arashi thought back to everything that happened since he entered the clearing.

Kakashi attacked him…

Rin and Kakashi both attacked him…

Obito attacked him…

And now they had the bells. It didn't completely add up. He looked around. There were still some small flames lying about, slowly being put out by the wind.

So that was it…

"I see," he said. "Gougakyuu wasn't meant to do damage. You're only objective in using it was to burn the string that tied the bells to my waist. And in doing so, you also gave me a reason to forget about the bells and save myself by using the water jutsu."

Kakashi nodded. There were still some blanks, but he'd find them out later. Right now, he had something else important to do.

"Hmph," he said. "Very elaborate plot. It's hard to believe that you thought so many steps ahead. In any case…you all pass. And with flying colors, nonetheless."

Kakashi's face seemed to relax. Behind him, Arashi heard Obito whoop and Rin sigh a sigh of relief. Arashi himself was glad with the result; no other team had ever managed to actually steal the bells. He had already planned to pass these kids, but the fact that they actually _did_ manage to steal them meant that they were truly deserving of becoming Genin.

As if his thoughts had somehow reached her, Rin suddenly had a worried look on her face when she said, "Wait, sensei. Didn't you say that all the Jounin together have to decide who passed and who fails?"

"Yes, they do," he replied. He meant to continue, but Obito cut him off.

"What?! No…! All that hard work, and we still might not pass?! I can't believe it…we're not out of the loop yet."

"Don't worry," said Arashi. "I'm sure everyone will be convinced you deserve it. Even though I was holding back, not even _I_ was expecting you to succeed. In fact, I planned on passing you whether or not you succeeded or not. You'd already proved you were worthy. But the fact that you _did_ succeed will only increase your chances. You're as good as Genin."

All of them lightened up again. Even Kakashi, the Jounin noted. Kakashi's hope of becoming a Genin did not rely on this test since he was already a Chunin, but Arashi knew that a reputation as being able to succeed in this test would definitely help him. It was sad, sort of, but the boy was lonely for one unmistakable reason; he did not fit in with the other Chunin, who were all mostly adults, but he was too stuck-up and proud to hang out with the Genin of the village. Therefore, he was left with no true friends. It was Arashi's hope that being on this team would not only help him make friends in his new teammates, but also expose Kakashi to the other shinobi his age.

"Well," he said to the tired kids. "As a first notion of us being teacher and students, I'd like to celebrate your victory by taking you all out to lunch. My treat."

Obito cheered and Rin agreed. But Kakashi did not seem interested. Not wanting to push the boy to do something he did not, Arashi did not question him, but merely informed him that he would be missing out. Kakashi left, but the lack of his presence did not weaken the spirits of his teammates.

"So, then. What would you like to eat, you two?"

It couldn't be too hard for them to decide.

"Yakiniku!"

"How about seafood?"

Or maybe it would.

"How about a little place I like, called Ichiraku Ramen?" He said.

---

**Obito**

Obito was sure he had never felt happier in his life. He was currently enjoying a bowl of Miso Ramen, while he and Rin explained the plan to Arashi.

"…so to make it convincing," he was saying, "all I had to do was set up a machine that launched a kunai with just a tug of a wire. You were looking at Rin, so when the kunai was launched, you didn't see that it actually came from the trees and went through Kakashi, who was actually Rin's bunshin. The _real _Kakashi had substituted himself with the kunai you stole from him, so Rin's bunshin and I covered for him."

He had just finished explaining how Kakashi had become Arashi's kunai at the end of the test.

Arashi smiled. "It was an amazing plan. And I'm even more glad to know that Kakashi hadn't been the only one to think of it; all of you played a part in making and executing it."

Obito calmly finished his ramen; sensei was right, it was exceptionally good. Though, he would never abandon his beloved favorite, Yakitori, for it.

All in all, it seemed Arashi had a very large bill. Obito wasn't surprised at how much he ate; that test made him extremely hungry, and he had missed breakfast, too. Rin didn't have nearly as much as he did, but did seem to have enjoyed it. Arashi, however, was a different story; he didn't seem to be eating too much too fast, but by the end, he had had almost 150 what Obito had. Obito was wondering when he had a chance to eat so much, but let it go; it was just another quirk he would have to get used to about the Jounin. There were bound to be many of them.

Later, as he was saying his goodbyes, Obito realized he had many destinations. First of all, he had to go to Massaro's shop. Tomorrow was his first day as a Genin, so he had to stock up on equipment again. Besides, Massaro had told him to come by and tell him how things went.

He hurried to the Weapons Shop, jumping in as soon as he arrived. The old man was, for once, awake. He was sitting at the counter, reading some paper, probably the newspaper, though it didn't look like it.

"Yo, Massaro-san!" He yelled, though he was right in front of the man. Massaro jumped, eyeing Obito suspiciously, before saying, "Oh, it's you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Hey, what are you reading?"

"Just a receipt, is all."

"A receipt? Someone came by?"

"Why, yes. A young boy, around your age, I think. Maybe a little older. He was interested in my newest creation." The old man leaned down, apparently reaching for something beneath the counter. He pulled out two short knives. "These things; very helpful, they are, they're affected by chakra."

Wha? Knives that were affected by chakra? That made no sense to Obito, but he supposed that since someone actually bought them, they were probably worth something. Not that he could do anything with them, though.

"But anyway," Massaro said. "I suppose you came by to tell me how your test went? Did you fail?"

"What? No! I passed, of course! Were you _expecting_ me to fail?"

"Not at all, boy, not at all!"

"Then why…? Nevermind." He'd rather not try to understand Massaro. He was a strange man, and trying to figure him out might make Obito go crazy.

"Well, boy, I'm proud of you. Now, do you need anything?"

"Oh, yeah. I used a lot of my equipment today. And tomorrow I start as a real Genin, so I think I should stock up again."

"Very well, just give me a minute. In _my_ days, we didn't need to use so many weapons for just a little test, no we didn't…"

In his days? Obito's attention was suddenly captured. "Massaro-san, were you a shinobi once?"

"What?! Of course! Why, I was a master of weaponry back then! But now I'm old, so I'm devoted myself to supplying all you young people with all the equipment you need. And the best, too!"

With that, Massaro went to the back of the store to retrieve what Obito needed. When he returned, he handed Obito everything, telling him to be have fun as a Genin.

"It won't seem like what you're expecting at first. Almost chores, really…"

What? Obito wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, so he brushed it off as some random thing Massaro had chosen to say.

"Oh, and wish your cousin Fugaku luck, too."

"Why?"

"Well, aren't the Jounin exams coming up? I'm pretty sure last time I saw him, he mentioned that he would be participating."

"Yeah, I think he is, but that's not for a few more weeks. I'll tell you said it, too, don't worry."

"Take care, boy. And don't die."

"I won't. I have too much to do before I die."

"Heheh, that's what they all say."

Obito smiled as he left the store. That's what they all said? Well he'd be the one person who said it but _won't_ die! That's right!

But there was something else on his mind right now: the Jounin Exams. He knew he'd never be able to participate or anything, he had just become a Genin. But he was sure that by watching Fugaku in the Jounin Exams, he would be able to learn some new tricks.

The next day, Obito woke up to a great day. It was sunny out, was his first day as a Genin, had a good temperature, was his first day as a Genin, he felt completely charged with energy, it was first day as a Genin, and he had had the congratulations of half the clan.

Oh, and it was his first day as a Genin. And he was late, too.

Nevertheless, he didn't let it bother him. He walked excitedly to the field where Arashi had first had them all introduce themselves. There, he found the entire team waiting.

"You're late," said Kakashi.

"Yeah, I noticed. Just be glad that it wasn't as bad as yesterday."

"Hn."

Hah! Not even Kakashi could get on his nerves today!

"Anyway," said Arashi. "Today is our first day as a team. Try not to kill each other, okay? From this day forth, we will be meeting here every morning, before we head to the Hokage's office to receive our next mission. Remember that."

Obito made sure that bit of information stuck in his head as the new team made their way to the Hokage's Office The streets of Konoha weren't nearly as crowded as yesterday, which made Obito wonder just how badly God hated him.

When they arrived at the Hokage's office, Obito found he was feeling pretty tense. He did not want to make a fool of himself today, and making himself look like a real shinobi in front of the Hokage felt like something he should make sure to do.

"Ah, Arashi," said the Sandaime as they entered. "I see your new team is ready for their first mission?"

"Yes, Hokage-sama. They seem eager to begin."

"Very well, very well. Let's see, what do we have here… Aha! The daughter of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire has lost her pet dog. Your mission to find and capture it, and bring it back here."

_Huh?_

---

Over the next few weeks, Obito had realized what Massaro meant by calling Genin missions "chores". In fact, that's exactly what they were. He had already established that the first day was the most disappointing; at the end of the day, he had even suggested to the Princess of the Land of Fire to get a cat, because they ran away less often. Not that it was any of his business…

But all in all, the past few weeks had been very disappointing. That's why, today, he had finally received the excitement he truly wanted. Team 5 had just returned from the day's mission, tired but disappointed. Sandaime was skimming through Arashi's report, before turning his attention to them.

"Well, Team Arashi, I do believe you have done a very good job these past few weeks."

Obito looked up, interested in what might come next.

"I've recently come to the decision that, since Kakashi is already an experienced Chunin, you will be allowed to take on C ranked missions far sooner than any other rookie team. Therefore, tomorrow, you will depart on your first one."

Obito held back his joy, trying to act calm in front of the Hokage. "So what's the mission, then?" He asked. He thought he felt Kakashi's gaze on him, but ignored it.

"Hmm. I think it would be easier if the client were to explain you your mission than myself. After all, he understands the situation better." The Chunin sitting next to the Hokage rose and left the room, returning moments later with a young man dressed in dark colors.

"This is Shioto Errai. He is not the client; his job is merely to guide you to him. Tomorrow morning, the five of you will depart to the Land of Rivers."

The young man walked towards the Hokage, and then turned to them. He seemed to be inspecting them all.

"These kids…they're shinobi? I thought it was weird when I saw kids running around the village with those headbands, but I assumed it just meant their students."

Obito, feeling insulted, was about to say something, but Arashi got to it first. "Errai-san, do not worry. These kids are graduates of the Academy, and in my eyes, skilled for their age. They should have no trouble handling this mission."

Errai shrugged, and said, "Alright."

"Now, Errai, if you would please explain to them their objective," said the Sandaime.

Errai sighed. "Your client is my brother, Shioto Doussai. He is a politician of the Land of Rivers. Recently, our country has been plagued by a rebellion, whose goal is to overthrow the government. Your job is to protect Doussai, as he is a prime target to the rebels. But to our knowledge, the rebellion does possess the money needed to hire shinobi; your only enemies should be average soldiers, perhaps samurai, though it is unlikely."

"Sounds easy enough," said Obito.

"Very well," Sandaime said. "This is a long-term mission, so make sure you are well-prepared. You leave tomorrow morning, at eight o'clock. Dismissed."

As the team left the office, Obito, for the first time since he graduated, felt pumped and excited. His first _real_ mission had finally come. And he was determined to prove himself to everyone.


	6. Journey to the Land of Rivers

**Chapter V**

**Obito**

Journey to the Land of Rivers!

"He's late."

"Don't worry, he'll be here soon."

"Are you sure?"

"…No."

Three members of Team Arashi stood at the gates of Konoha. Their guide, Errai, was drowned in irritation. Arashi was currently doing his best to keep the man from leaving without them.

"Is he always this late?"

"Only if he's nervous and there is something important happening." Arashi answered.

"You mean something's going on with him that's important? Like in his family?'

"No, I mean he's normally late to important events, like this mission, for instance."

"…"

"Oh, give him a break!" Said Rin. "It hasn't been _that_ long!"

"That's only because you came late, too, knowing that you would beat him here anyway," said Kakashi. "The rest of us have been here for nearly an hour."

"Well, a shinobi has to use everything to her advantage, does she not? Even if it's a tardy teammate."

"Even so, continued tardiness cannot be excused. Imagine if he were late to protect our client during this mission? The enemy might take advantage of that and attack while he is unprotected, or guarded by someone tired and hardly in shape to fight."

"Yeah, I guess, but he won't be late to something like that, would he? He made it to the Academy Graduation on time. Barely, but he still did. I'm sure he'll do his best to come on time to guard our client."

"Hn. You sure his best is enough?"

Rin was about to say something, but she stopped when Arashi came in. "Look, calm down, okay? We're all just annoyed and grouchy from waking up early and waiting here for so long ("Who's fault is that, now, sensei?" Kakashi muttered), but I'm sure Obito will be here soon."

As he said that, a silhouette appeared in the distance, coming at them fast.

"See?" Arashi pointed at it. "That must be him. Now we can leave."

Like he said, it was Obito running towards them. As he neared, they all couldn't help but notice three things were strange about him. First, his goggles were missing. Second, his clothes looked like he had already been to River country and back. And third…

There was a large rat hanging onto his sleeve by its mouth.

Rin's hand rose, and she pointed at the rat, her mouth agape; she seemed to be trying to say something, but no sound escaped her lips. So Kakashi said it for her.

"Where the hell have you _been_?"

Obito shrugged uneasily. "I, uh… Well, I passed by this restaurant, and the manager saw I was a ninja, so he asked me if I would help him get rid of some rats running around in the cellar. I guess I just couldn't resist doing a good deed. Someone says please, you can't just refuse, you know?"

He let out an uneasy laugh, and rubbed the back of his head. The rat holding onto his sleeve swung back and forth in front of his face. His eyes widened.

"Ahhhh! Get if off, get it off!" He shook his arm, eventually throwing the rat off, but life seemed to return to it as it bounded back and bit his leg. The Uchiha kicked it away, and the rat scurried off, but not before being slaughtered by a barrage of shuriken.

"Hah!" Take that, you stupid rat! That's what you get for messing with an Uchiha!" He yelled.

Kakashi put his hand to his forehead, hoping he had been having a fever this past month, and this wasn't _really_ his teammate. Honestly, couldn't he act professional _at least_ in front of the client? Errai probably thought all three were alike. Kakashi shuddered at the thought of being similar to Obito.

"You know," he said, "that's not much of a threat. And there's not much to back it up. Are you sure the Uchiha are really that great?"

Obito immediately rounded on him. "What'd you say?! You wanna find out what I can do firsthand?!"

"No, thanks. I can see for myself. And…you do realize that rat is still alive?"

"Huh?"

Kakashi pointed at the pile of shuriken Obito had thrown earlier. Two yards away was the rat, scurrying off, albeit slowly.

Obito fell to his knees, his hands on the ground.

"I can't believe it," he said. "If there's a God…he hates me."

_I'd bet my salary he hates me more,_ Kakashi thought, for multiple reasons.

Behind him, Errai seemed to be in an even worse mood.

"Arashi-san, are you sure this kid is qualified as a ninja?"

"Positive," said Arashi, though Kakashi could tell the Jounin was wishing Obito would act more professional, too.

"Anyway," the Jounin said, "now that we're all here, we can leave. And Obito, please, don't waste all of your equipment on one little rat. Pick your shuriken up so we can go."

As Arashi strode off to the gatekeepers to sign the team out (1), Kakashi, Rin, and Errai watched as Obito struggled to pick up the shuriken as fast as he could. He continually stabbed his own fingers on the edges, forcing Kakashi to wonder just how Obito had graduated. Had the test become that much easier over the last six and a half years?

"To be honest," he heard Errai say behind him, "I don't feel so safe when that kid _does_ have shuriken on him."

Kakashi smirked.

---

Obito stretched his arms and took a deep breath of fresh air. It had been so long since he had last left the village; it felt nice to be out again. Sure, he was acting like he had never been outdoors, but never being outvillage was almost the same, wasn't it?

In any case, he took as much advantage of being out of the village as possible. To him, life just seemed better out here. The village felt so…busy and crowded. He couldn't wait to work his legs in the forest, climb a few mountains, take a dip in a river…

But all that would have to wait. He had a job to do. From this point, Obito swore he would focus on the objective of the mission, and make sure to not to fail, not to mess, and most importantly, not to make himself look like as much of an idiot as he just had. Honestly, how long had that rat been there?

Obito shrugged it off as he followed Errai. He'd figure that out later. When they came back from a successful mission.

For the next few hours, things were pretty quiet. Obito focused on watching the surroundings. Errai walked with his back to the group, not making a single sound except for the loud breathing that shinobi were trained to avoid. It was bad for stealth.

Kakashi and Rin seemed to be doing the same thing as Obito. Rin, like him, was on her first non-chore mission, so no doubt she was feeling the same way as him. Kakashi, apparently, was more experienced with this. And the silence was probably normal to him, so it didn't seem to bother him.

But it definitely bothered Obito. It was hard to keep quiet for hours on end. They had walked for about five hours already. Normal people, one would imagine, would soon begin to complain of the pain in their legs. Obito, however, was becoming edgy, and longed for some noise.

It was a great relief when Arashi sent all three of them out to prepare for later. Rin had gone to find food and water. Kakashi had elected to scout ahead and find a good place to stop, leaving Obito to find firewood for the ever-approaching evening.

Needless to say, he rushed off immediately, prepared to make more noise than he ever did before in his life.

"Alllllllllllriiiiiiiiiiiiight!" He yelled, jumping up into the trees. "Time to get some firewood! Now lesse, how hard can this be? All I need to do is cut up some trees… But then again, I wouldn't mind spending some time alone to allow my lungs the freedom of noise…"

And so Obito's extra-long search for firewood began. He ran off at top speed, too absorbed in making noise to notice a man step out of the bushes, watching him go.

---

**Rin**

Finding food wasn't difficult, Rin thought, especially when the only food nearby was your favorite, and it came with the water. Only a few minutes into her search, Rin came across a small pond, immediately spying multiple fish rippling the surface of the water.

Ah…seafood…so tasty.

Before she captured her fish, however, she had to gather plenty of water. It was a three-day journey: two to River Country, and one further into it to the capital, where Doussai lived. Obviously, there would be water in River Country (it was named after a body of water!), but who knew what other water sources there would be between here and there?

She pulled out ten fat bottles, and filled each one with the fresh, clear water. Hopefully, this would be enough for them to share until they reached River Country.

She laid them down on the soft earth, and pulled out multiple kunai, lying in wait. A bass swam in her direction. Rin picked up a small stone, and threw it into the water a few feet away from where the fish was. The bass immediately turned to the disturbance, allowing Rin a perfect shot. Her kunai went straight through it, and the bass floated to the surface of the water.

Trying not to get too wet, Rin reached into the water and pulled it out. This would waste some chakra, but… She pulled the kunai out, and laid the fish out, quickly healing it. She, personally, preferred to eat fish that were killed by the air, not those with a big, gaping, bloody hole in them.

Within the next twenty minutes, she caught eight more bass. Deciding nine should be enough for the five of them, she tied the ten bottles together, slinging them over her back, and carried the fish in arms, wrapped in a cloth she had stored in her backpack.

As she strode away from the shore of the pond, she heard the sound of rustling leaves, but no wind touched her. Curious, she turned to the bushes far to her right, watching them for a moment. None of them budged. It must have been her imagination; she was probably just a little paranoid, since this was her first true shinobi mission.

And so she walked off, back to Arashi and Errai.

---

**Kakashi**

Kakashi leapt from tree to tree, following the path laid out to them. The path being a straight clearing that seemed to continue on throughout all of the Fire Country. He was quite familiar with it, though, as it was followed by most shinobi on their way to faraway missions.

The young Chunin stopped, observing the area as he had every hundred feet. So far, he had seen nothing of interest. By now, they were almost halfway through Fire Country, from Konoha to the border with River Country.

Kakashi assumed that Arashi meant to stop for the day around the half-way point. That meant that they would be a few hours into River Country by the end of the next day, and it would be a short trip to the capital on the last day.

Deciding he had seen enough, Kakashi advanced to the next hundred feet. At this point, he was about a few miles ahead of the rest of the group. There wasn't much point scouting farther than this; there was a good spot to stop about a mile back, and there didn't seem to be anything or anyone nearby. One would be surprised that shinobi teams did not meet up very often on their way in and out of the village.

Kakashi was about to turn back when he heard a disturbance a little ways away. Deciding to investigate, he leapt down from the tree he was in, towards the other end of the clearing.

Another sound caught his attention, off to his right. Kakashi took a few steps toward it, but found nothing. Maybe it was paranoia, but he was becoming suspicious. Either there was someone here, it was a wild animal, or Obito was attempting to play some sort of trick on him.

The Chunin knelt down to examine the bush that the noise seemed to be coming from, but turned immediately when he heard a footstep behind him. Still, there was nothing there.

Obito's stealth skills were probably horrible considering what Kakashi had seen of him over the past months. So it was either a wild animal or someone really was watching him.

Another ruffle of leaves, and Kakashi whipped around, kunai in hand. However, all that awaited him was a scurrying squirrel. The frightened animal ran off, and Kakashi relaxed. Had he been chasing that squirrel the whole time? He was pretty sure he had heard human footsteps…

Just like the ones he heard now, from above. Kakashi spun once more, and this time did not hesitate to launch his kunai into the air.

The target, however, dodged at the last minute, falling off the branch it was on and landing on the ground.

"Argh! You bastard! What the hell was that for?"

Obito sat up, rubbing his head, looking irritated. Kakashi sighed. Had it been Obito after all?

"How long have you been here?" He asked, just as annoyed as the Uchiha.

"Huh? I just got here…why?"

"…I'm pretty sure I heard someone here."

For a second, Obito looked serious. But almost immediately the expression Kakashi longed to stay disappeared.

Obito stood up. "You sure you're not just being paranoid?"

"I'm sure. And I'm also sure I was on my way back."

Kakashi took a few steps forward before yelled, "H-hey wait! Let me just get the firewood I found!"

Kakashi turned his head to watch as Obito searched about for the sack he had dropped when Kakashi attacked. Since he honestly didn't care, however, he left without the Uchiha.

It took a few minutes before Obito finally caught up. When he did, the boy yelled at Kakashi for leaving a teammate behind. Kakashi lent him only an uncaring eye.

"What would you do in a real situation, huh?" The Uchiha was saying. "Would you just leave behind your teammate?"

"Yes, actually, so long as it is for the good of the mission. Achieving success on a mission is the most important priority."

"So if Rin or I got hurt and the enemy escaped, you would go after them and leave the other to die?"

"Yes."

"That…that's completely messed up! How can you think like that and actually like yourself?"

"Easily. Following the Rules and Regulations of the Shinobi is the most important part of the career. Those who cannot do so are trash."

"So you're saying that just because I don't want my teammates to die, I'm trash? Is that it?"

"Yes."

Kakashi felt Obito glare at him. In fact, he could feel the anger itself. Strange, really; the only other emotion he ever felt was killer intent, and that was hard to miss.

For the next twenty minutes, they walked in silence back towards the others. When they finally found them, they saw that Rin had already returned with fresh food and water.

"Ah, so the boys return," said Arashi when he spotted them. "Did you find out what we need?"

Kakashi took the opportunity to speak first. "There's really no place different from this path anywhere for the next few miles. The best spot would probably be up about a mile ahead, there's a smaller clearing off towards the left from there."

Arashi nodded. "And Obito?"

"Got it all right here!" Cried the loudmouth Uchiha. "All the firewood we need."

He dumped everything he had out of the sack. Suddenly, the ground near his feet was covered in branches, both thick and thin, many still covered in leaves.

"Obito…" Arashi said. "That's not proper firewood."

"Huh?"

"I'm afraid that those branches aren't going to be much use. Especially since there are still many leaves on them."

"What do you mean? There's a difference between firewood and other wood?"

"Exactly."

_On second thought, maybe God does hate him more. To curse him with such stupidity…_

"Idiot," Kakashi said. "Why don't you go look for some _real_ firewood?"

"Yeah, whatever," the Uchiha said.

As Obito walked off, sulking, Kakashi couldn't help but wonder, for the umpteenth time, just _how_ Obito had graduated from the Academy.

---

**Obito**

"Stupid firewood," muttered Obito as he walked back. In the last hour, he had searched the area for what Rin had earlier told him was good firewood. Hard, old branches tended to burn the longest, she had said, so that's what he had found. Right now, he was on his way back. What he had in the sack would probably only be enough for that night.

When he arrived, Obito found that the others had already set up the camp. There were three tents set up, and a gathering of stones sat in the center, ready for the wood they had to wait for him to get.

From the looks on their faces, Obito assumed they were all waiting to eat. But who could blame them? They had been walking all day long, and had had nothing to eat since noon. It was already getting late by now, and Obito himself was starving, too.

Saying nothing as he walked into the camp, Obito dumped the wood into the center of the stones.

"Is _this_ proper firewood?" He said in an irritated voice.

Arashi looked over at him from the tent he was fixing, and nodded. From another tent, Errai stepped out and looked around.

"I heard the annoying kid's voice," he said. "That mean we can eat?"

Obito bit back a retort, deciding that pissing off their guide, who was also their client's brother, was not a good idea.

The group gathered around the nonexistent fire.

"If you don't mind, Obito?" Said Arashi.

"Huh?" It took Obito a moment to realize what the Jounin was asking for. "Oh, yeah. Sure."

He quickly went through the seals for Housenka, and released one, small fireball to set light the fire.

No one spoke for a while, as they cooked the nine fish Rin had caught. Even when they began to eat, none of them seemed to have anything to say. Until, at least, Obito decided to break the tension.

"So, uh…Errai-san," he began, "What's River Country like?"

The guide looked up. The look on his face clearly told that he understood the true purpose of the question. But he seemed to succumb nonetheless. Maybe he wanted to bring an end to the silence too?

"Now, why would you ask that question, kid? Isn't the answer obvious enough for you?"

Obito was unsure of whether or not that was an insult, so he pretended he didn't notice one within it. "Well, how should I know it's really filled with Rivers? And that's not much, anyway. I mean, seriously, we're in the Land of Fire. So where's the fire? Shouldn't we be in the Land of Woods or Forests or something?"

Errai chuckled. "Yeah, I guess you're right, kid. The Land of Rivers is, to put it shortly, is made up of two parts. Part of the country is made up of Rivers, both big and small. The other part of it, though, is swampy. That area is mostly empty, though, because you can't really build a civilization on a swamp. Anyway, the rest of the country is pretty nice. Small, but not horrible. Nothing compared to the Five Great Countries, though. So does that answer your question?"

"Sort of," Obito said, biting into his fish. It was cooked pretty well. Did Rin make this often?

"But, uh," he continued. "So what's with the rebellion? It had to of started for some reasons. Usually that reason is because of a dictator or something, so how did this one start?"

"Excellent question, Obito," said Arashi, "I'd like to know that too. It would probably come in handy at some point to know our enemy's overall goals."

They all looked at Errai, who seemed hesitant to speak at first. But the pressure of having four shinobi pressing for information seemed to be too much for him, so he sighed and began speaking.

"Well, it started when a clan of bandits came into our country and began attacking villages, trying to take control. At first, we didn't worry. We expected that vigilantes could probably handle it, so we did nothing. Then we heard that these bandits were exceptional fighters and the vigilantes could not handle them. So we began sending in portions of the military to take care of the problem. We thought they would still be no match for trained soldiers, so we sent small groups and expected it to be done. Needless to say, we were wrong on all accounts."

Obito listened intently, hardly noticing he had put down what was left of his fish.

"What happened?" Asked Rin.

"We think that some of the bandits were capable of weak shinobi abilities. Even if they were weak, they were still an advantage over our soldiers. So in no time, a small portion of our military was eliminated. At this point, the Daimyo began to take more interest, and ordered larger platoons to go after the bandits. They even ambushed the enemy during the night, but it still wasn't enough. Bigger portions of the military fell, and, slowly, we began to lose too many men."

"I see," said Arashi, "but if the enemy were shinobi, albeit weak ones, why didn't you hire shinobi to take them out? It could have easily been a B-ranked mission, and you would have been assigned a team of Jounin and Chunin. They would have taken out these bandits in no time."

"Some of us, including myself, said the same thing. But an annual celebration was coming up, and the Daimyo had already spent large sums of money to make it the best celebration yet, since it was the 100th anniversary of the occurrence. He stated that we did not have the money to hire shinobi for the needed amount of time in order to take out these bandits. He was also quite sure that the military could handle it."

"But it wouldn't have cost that much," Arashi argued. "Most likely, an experienced team of Genin probably could have handled the job. Surely, a government like your own could have had enough? Single men can get enough to hire a team like that. A government definitely must."

"I can understand what you are trying to say, Arashi-san. However, River country has a rather poor economy. It's mostly transportation for others through the Rivers, and some farming. Because of the swamps, there isn't much room for farms, though. So most people don't have too much money, even in the upper class. The only people with large amounts of money are the workers of the government, and they were all very unwilling to…share."

"Still…"

"The Daimyo was still convinced that the military could handle it, and he did not want to waste money. So he continued to have the military attack the bandits. To replenish soldiers, he decreed that all boys fifteen years or older must join the army. The citizens began to talk and became angry because their sons and husbands were forced to leave home."

"So," Kakashi said in a low voice, "that's how the rebellion began."

"Almost there," said Errai. "Even with the added numbers, it still was not enough to defeat the bandits. So the Daimyo finally decided to try to raise money to pay for a strong team of shinobi. I think he meant to build a small army of them and eliminate the bandits in one strike, so the contract would not last long. He created a tax, forcing the people to pay to hire such a team. Needless to say, this got them angrier. And then the rebellion began."

"The presence of the rebellion made things much more difficult. Soldiers that were taken from home left the army, and farmers stopped paying taxes. The bandits' takeover attempts did not get any better, however, so the government called for a treaty with the rebellion to get rid of the bandits once and for all. The rich politicians payed to hire tacticians and mercenaries from outer countries, and went after the bandits with all our might. Finally, we won. But with our victory, the government leaders began to think too much of themselves. And they began a tax once more, enlisted more soldiers, and made life more difficult than it was before the bandits came. So the rebellion returned, intending to get rid of the current government. And now we're here."

Everyone remained silent for a few minutes, taking in all the information. It was Rin who spoke first.

"I'm starting to think…maybe the rebellion is in the right."

"Well, my brother supports their motives, but the rebellion is mostly made up of farmers and peasants. We cannot believe that they know how to properly run a country."

"Right, that's true…" She said.

"Doesn't sound like the current government knows how to run a country either," said Kakashi.

"I understand what makes you think that. However, most of the politicians know what they're doing and are very capable of their jobs. True, many of us believe we could do with a better Daimyo, but the position moves in a lineage, not election. The best we can do is hope the Daimyo's son does a better job than his father."

Now that the story was over, Obito calmly returned to his fish, mulling it over to himself. He deeply hoped that this Doussai was one of the politicians that Errai said knew how to do his job. He really didn't want to work for someone who didn't deserve and didn't need his help. Well, he did, but in many ways, it could be better if he weren't leading the country.

Then again, this was all assuming that this Doussai didn't know how to properly run a country. And he probably did, so Obito probably didn't have to worry about it.

_After all, how could he have gotten where he was if he didn't know how to do his job? Yeah, this Doussai is definitely capable of his job! I'll protect him to the — huh?"_

Obito's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a faint sound reaching his ears. Immediately, he realized what it had to be, as the other three members of the team widened their eyes at the same time as himself.

"Get back!" Yelled Arashi, and all three of them sprang to their feet and backwards. The Jounin grabbed Errai and pulled him along with him, just as a stream of arrows landed exactly where each of them sat. Four long, wooden arrows whose tips were covered in an oozing, purple liquid.

Rin gasped. "Th-those arrows…they're covered in poison!"

_P-poison?_

"They're hidden in the trees!" Arashi said. "Obito!"

Obito snapped towards him, not realizing what he was supposed to do. He felt his lip quiver, and he could tell that it was written all over his face that he was clueless. Arashi gestured with his head towards the trees, and Obito assumed he was supposed to use some sort of attack.

_Oh! I see now, they're hidden in the trees, but I can still tell where they are._

The Uchiha hurriedly went through a set of hand seals, and called, "Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"

He released four fireballs in the direction from which he saw the arrows leave the trees. Just as the fireballs neared the trees, Obito thought he saw more arrows erupt, but they were quickly burned through and diminished by the four flaming spheres.

The Uchiha grinned. _Got 'em! Is that all? It was easy!_

But as he thought that, he saw, out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi spin around and run off behind them. Obito turned and saw several men had leapt out of the trees. They were carrying swords, but nothing else on them marked a shinobi. So these guys were just ordinary swordsmen?

Even if they were, Kakashi was taking on five of them. Obito rushed to the Chunin's aid, but as he ran, Kakashi knocked away two of them with one motion, and struck one in the chest with a kunai. He was good…

Apparently good enough to beat that many men on his own. And without taking a hit, either. Obito grimaced. He knew it was bad that he wished his own ally hadn't been able to handle it, but something inside him told him that anything Kakashi said he could do against him, the Chunin really could do. And more importantly, he could probably beat Obito as easily as he had beaten those men.

Deciding Kakashi could fend for himself, Obito spun once more, and saw more swordsmen were pouring out from everywhere. How many of these guys were there?

In any case, Obito decided to follow Kakashi's lead and go after them. They didn't seem to be that strong, so he could probably handle them, too.

He pulled a handful of shuriken from his holster, and launched them at the enemy. The first swordsman saw them coming, however, and ducked, calling for the others to do the same. Obito gritted his teeth, watching as all of his shuriken missed.

Dismissing it as bad luck, he pulled out a kunai and strapped on an explosion tag, and tossed it at the swordsmen. Instead of throwing it straight at the swordsmen, however, he aimed for their feet, where they wouldn't be able to let it fly by. The kunai landed dead mark, and the explosion tag went perfectly unnoticed. Obito smirked as one of the swordsmen went to kick it aside, just as the tag went off.

Four swordsmen went flying in the explosion.

"Hah, that's for underestimating me, which I _know_ you did!"

Obito shook his fist as the swordsmen began to recover from the blast, slowly standing up.

_Oh no you don't._

Obito ran towards them, and jumped. He landed on one's head, effectively knocking him back down to the ground, and kicked at another.

"You better stay down!" He yelled as he knocked the other two back down. It seemed he was done here, so he turned to see how the others were fairing. Arashi and Rin were protecting Errai, and Kakashi was taking out whatever swordsmen tried to get back up. There weren't any left that hadn't taken a hit yet. But there were still some arrows flying out of the trees.

Obito watched as Arashi said something to Rin, and left, most likely to take care of the archers that were still taking shots at them. He himself turned around, looking for any more enemies that could be left. Kakashi was still fighting. Were there others coming? If they were, they were coming from nowhere.

Speaking of others, Obito spun and evaded a slice he had almost been hit with. Two swordsmen had snuck up on him from behind. Where had they come from?

Deciding not to bother wondering, Obito fought back. He jumped over one of their heads, and landed a kick to the other, knocking him back. As the swordsman fell, his sword flew up and slashed Obito's leg.

Obito landed and grabbed his leg, grimacing in the pain. He had been too careless… But there was still another enemy. If he let his guard down, he would be even more careless. Obito jumped away as the swordsman attempted to slash him, and rebounded back, aiming a strong punch to the man's temples. The attack connected, and the swordsmen fell back, defeated.

Possibly even…dead. Had Obito just killed the man? And what about the others he had hit with the fire? He didn't want to worry about the enemy, but…the thought of taking a life…

Obito shook it away, deciding that it was more important to protect his friends and guide. He had to find where these other swordsmen were coming from, and stop them.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, Obito ran off towards the trees, and entered the forest once more, making his way up into the trees. Most likely, they weren't too far away. Obito continued to speed through the trees, until finally he came across another clearing. About ten men were standing there, speaking. Two of them left suddenly. Were these the ones he was looking for? They were all wearing different clothes…

Obito bent forward and tried to hear what they were saying.

"…two more from the east…want to take them by surprise…overwhelm the Jounin…"

They were trying to set up some sort of trap? And they were planning on double-teaming, or maybe…double-quadruple-taking Arashi? Something like that. Obito didn't know the right words for it.

In any case, he couldn't let it happen. They seemed like they were about to leave, so he had to do something _now._

_But what? How do I take down ten men all at once? Even if they're not shinobi, they can team up and hit me while I'm fighting someone else… Wait, wait… That's it! They'll never see this coming!_

Obito grinned as his plan took form. Cautiously, the Genin snuck down to the base of the trees, and prepared to leap. He gave himself a few seconds, before throwing himself forward, out of the trees. But before he left the safety of the forest, he put together his hands in the seal of the ram. "Henge!" He said, and, in a cloud of smoke, he became a stray katana, left behind by one of the other swordsmen.

The large group all prepared to leave, and one man wandered over to an extra sword lying around.

"Heheh…" he chuckled. "Must be my lucky day! Someone left behind a katana! And it's in pretty good shape, too. I'll be able to cut down those brats twice as fast now…heh."

The man pulled out the blade out of its sheath, and held it firmly in his left hand. He quickly made his way to the front of the group, ready and raring to cut. Or go. It was the same thing to him.

"Alright!" Said the leader of the group. "Let's go! This'll be easy!"

But right as he said it, the extra sword in the one man's hand erupted into a cloud of grey smoke, and Obito emerged, performing several seals.

"I've got you guys now! Katon: Gougakyuu no jutsu!" A giant sphere of flames poured from his mouth, and it enveloped the entire group. Obito allowed the flames to linger, to prevent anyone from escaping his capture, until they began to die out.

Everyone was down, save one. The leader stood up, completely protected by a large shield he had been carrying on his back.

"Ergh…" he said as he stood and threw away the shield. "Kid… You don't know what you've just done. You've ruined the whole plan… You've…ruined all these men's _lives_ by ruining that plan… We can't fail…can't fail…so to repent, I'll have to at least bring back a corpse… Yes, that will do it. The Lord will be happy, content… He'll spare us, he'll let us continue to work, and live…yeah…"

"Huh?" Obito stood, confused. What was wrong with this guy? He had started out talking to Obito, but now he was just mumbling to himself…

"Hey, uh, you mind repeating that? I didn't really get it." Obito said.

"You…stupid brat!" The man growled. "I'll kill you to repent for my failure!"

The man lunged forward, his katana aimed for Obito's throat. Surprised, Obito sidestepped the attack. He was slow, this man, so Obito took advantage of his chance. He threw forth a punch, but the swordsmen blocked it with an armored hand, causing Obito to jerk back in pain. That thing was hard…

The man threw a punch of his own, knocking Obito back a little. But he caught Obito by the neck. Obito, caught and held down, could do nothing as the man lifted his sword.

"You'll die for ruining it all, kid!"

He thrust forward, and Obito saw his entire life flash before his eyes. He couldn't die, not now! He still had to fulfill his dream, to become an amazing shinobi!

Luckily, he still could. Obito heard the sound of clashing metal, and did not feel the pain he had expected to when the sword was thrust through his neck. He opened his eyes, and saw Kakashi on his side, holding the sword back with a pair of kunai. The Chunin pulled some sort of blade from his the strap on his back, and slashed the swordsmen right in the chest, forcing the man to loosen the hold on Obito's neck and his katana. The swordsmen took a step back, and Kakashi kicked him down.

"Don't you think that's…overkill?" Obito said.

"No. On the battlefield, mercy cannot be shown to the enemy. Only after you've achieved victory. Until then, we can't allow him a chance to get to the client."

"But Errai's not anywhere near here!"

"We need to keep him in his place. This guy seems to be the leader, so we're going to need him for questioning."

Obito sighed, and let Kakashi tie up the man. He was a little annoyed when the Chunin asked him to help drag him back, but he relented and helped. It wasn't long before they returned to their camp, which looked so much less comfortable now that it was ravaged by arrows, blood, and stomping feet. But the rest of the team seemed relatively fine.

As Kakashi and Obito entered the camp, Arashi turned to see them.

"You found them?" He asked.

Obito looked at Kakashi, not entirely understanding what he meant.

"Yes. All of them survived, but have sustained injuries. We brought back the leader." Kakashi threw the man forward. He was bound from head to foot, and was still bleeding profusely. Rin rushed forward to patch up the injuries and make sure he survived.

"So now what?" Obito asked.

"Interrogation," said Arashi. "We need to know who sent these men and why."

"But isn't it kind of obvious it was the rebellion?"

"You never know. If it weren't, and we did not interrogate the enemy, then we would walk blindly into enemy territory not knowing who is out real enemy."

"Oh."

Rin stood up and looked at her work. "He'll live. At least, he should. So long as we don't' remove anything that's blocking the bleeding, we should be able to get him talking immediately."

"Good," said Arashi. He bent down, untying the bounds Kakashi had put on the man.

As the ropes fell off, he moaned. Arashi stepped away as the man opened his eyes, moaning again.

Arashi pulled out a kunai and kneeled down.

"What's your name?" Asked the Jounin.

The man eyed him with a suspicious look, before coughing.

"My name…is Jurro."

"And who are you? What is your business attacking us?"

"I was…hired. We all were. We're mercenaries."

"Who hired you?" Arashi asked. Jurro said nothing. "Speak!" Arashi yelled, making it very clear that he had a very pointy kunai in his hand.

"I…I don't know him by name. He…He's with…with the…reb…rebellion."

Arashi nodded. "And what was your objective?"

"…To kill…the government's reinforcements. We didn't…didn't know you were shinobi."

"Where did you meet with your employer?"

"…River Country," he groaned.

Arashi sighed, apparently disappointed with the answer.

"Where in River Country? The capital?"

"No…"

"Then where?"

"Big city…near the capital…"

Arashi stared at the ground for a moment, thinking. Then he stood up, and turned to Obito and the others.

"We'll trust his word for now. Our enemy is the rebellion, as expected."

"So," Obito began, "are we continuing to the capital?"

Arashi nodded. "Protecting our client is still the main objective. But while we're in the capital, the time may come to check out the surrounding cities. Maybe we'll find something."

All three members of Team Arashi nodded.

"This man should be alright on his own," he continued. "His men, too. We'll search their camp and take anything useful, but leave enough supplies so they can survive. We'll leave them here, they should be capable on their own. Let's go."

As he and Kakashi led the others to the mercenaries' camp, Obito could not help but wonder how many of the men were really okay. After all, he had blasted them with a giant fireball. Almost all of them should have sustained burns. What if he had killed some of them?

Obito began to feel guilty, but he continued to remind himself that it was part of the job. He had to be willing to do so, and he also had no choice. If he had not done it, then, surely, the others would have been hurt, right? And Kakashi nearly killed Jurro, too. So at least he had not been alone in the killing, if there was any.

Obito swallowed, wondering just how far this mission would go. He had expected fights like this, but it was still far different than what he imagined.

As they searched the camp he told himself he'd just have to get used to it.

---

**The Servant of Stone**

Rain pounded on the windows of a large mansion in the capital of River Country. Outside, the houses were small, poor, and dirty. However, the inside of the mansion seemed almost kingly. It was hard to believe that both places were in the same city.

At least, that's what Nagenai Kotsure, Jounin of Iwagakure, thought as he strode through its halls.

He had been here on multiple occasions already. Each time, he had had a chance to explore a different section of the place. The architecture was magnificent, as was the art hanging all over the walls. But what really caught Kotsure's eyes was the fact that this man, whom had hired him and his men from the village of Stone, could pay for all of this luxury and still have a great deal of money to spare. It was an even better thought to know that he would be paying them enough to call the money as beautiful as the mansion.

The Jounin swerved a corner, and made his way to the end of the hallway, where a tall, oak door stood, guarded by two men. He stopped in front of them, staring them straight in the eye.

"I'm here to see your master," he said after a minute.

"He will be with you in a minute," one of the guards said, but it was clear to the Jounin that there was a bit of fear in his voice. Of course, how could there not be, when placed under the pressure of shinobi's stare?

Before Kotsure could further toy with the guards, the door opened, revealing a tall, very well-dressed man.

"Ah, my good friend from Iwagakure. Please, come in."

Kotsure entered as the man motioned, giving the guards one, last, malicious grin.

The room they entered was large, far too large to be a normal office. But that was exactly what it was. The man took a seat at his desk, and Kotsure took a seat in front of it.

"How long has it been, now, since we last met? A few weeks?" The man said.

"Just about," answered Kotsure. "It is a pleasure to return, Doussai-sama."

"Of course it is. Now, I believe you've come bearing news from our hired swords?"

"Yes. As expected, they failed. Like you ordered, we told them their enemy's would be skilled samurai. But even with their numbers, they failed to defeat the Genin protecting your brother."

"Perfectly according to plan. And the rest of the preparations?"

"They are all being taken care of as we speak."

"Excellent. Your men are in place, as are mine. With this team of Genin as our only obstacle, we should have no trouble."

"Actually, sir, there is more."

"Hmm? What is it?"

"The Jounin in charge of these Genin is quite famous, especially in Iwagakure. Rather…he is very greatly feared. Enough that Chunin level shinobi or lower are ordered to flee upon sighting him."

"Truly? How unfortunate. And yet, I believe you are supposed to be one of Stone's best?"

"That I am. And I believe there is a chance I can take this man on my own. However, I am worried for my subordinates. If he does anything that does not follow our plans…this entire plot may yet end in disaster."

"…I see. I will make sure that proper precautions are taken, and this man does not hinder our work. His name?"

"Kazama Arashi, otherwise known as Konoha's Yellow Flash."

"Very well."

"Another thing, Doussai-sama. Should we be capable of defeating him… We will be taking him back to Iwagakure with us. If you do not have a complaint…"

"None whatsoever."

"Very good. Then my business here is done."

"Yes, I believe it is. We will meet again in two days to discuss the end of this affair. If we should succeed, then everyone will come out with what they want. You with your pay, and myself, with the Land of Rivers under my control."

"Aye, Doussai-sama."

"You are dismissed."

"Hai."

Kotsure stood and bowed, before taking his leave. As he returned to the hallway, he noticed both the guards were gone. Good.

Kotsure hurried and found small, abandoned room. He quickly locked the door, and made sure no one was around. He knelt down, bit his thumb, and placed his palm on the floor.

"Kuchiyose no jutsu!" He said, and with a small puff of smoke, a large rat appeared.

"Chouhouin." He said. "You were successful?"

"Of course, what did you expect?" Answered the summon.

"Hmph. You never know. So what did you find?"

"Out of the entire team, I'd say only one of them is _not_ a problem, and I may still be wrong."

"How so?"

"It's a team of four, but only two of them are Genin. One of those two is an idiot. It took him ten minutes to notice me hanging on his sleeve, and he couldn't even land a hit on me with a dozen shuriken. But still, he's an Uchiha. So you should be careful."

"Understood. And the others?"

"The other Genin is a Medic. In training, probably, but still a Medic. The other two are the Jounin, Kazama Arashi, and a Chunin by the name of Hatake Kakashi. He seems to be the son of the White Fang, and he's still young, despite his rank."

"Alright, that's all I need. You're dismissed, Chouhoin."

"Hai."

The rat disappeared in another cloud of smoke, and the Jounin stood, grinning.

_Despite his descriptions, they still don't sound like much. This entire plan will be a breeze. And in the end, when it's all over, it will be we, of Iwa, the soldiers of Stone, who come out on top, and with the head of the famed Yellow Flash no less!_


	7. The Shinobi of Rivers

**Wow. Four months. I can't believe I haven't updated in that long. I guess I sort of lost some inspiration. Plus, I've been busy with George Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire as well as Death Note. Anyway, I don't have much time, but I'll tell you that there's some new characters in this one. Enjoy.  
**

**Loser Uchiha**

_Chapter VI – The Shinobi of Rivers_

* * *

**Obito**

There are many sources for heat. One of them is the sun, its blaring rays of light and radiation. Another is intense action; constantly in motion, allowing friction to do its thing. One other way, however, is intense nervousness. Or in Uchiha Obito's case, extreme excitement.

After all, who could contain their excitement at finally arriving in the capital of River Country after all this time? It had been nearly two whole days since Jurro's attack. Since then, the group had walked on in silence, with barely a word spoken aside from deciding where to make camp. Now that they were only an hour away, Obito could hardly contain his excitement at finally being able to break the silence.

Nonetheless, as the bustling city came into view, the young Uchiha still managed to keep quiet, fearing Kakashi's oddly dangerous "shush". Errai led the way towards the gates, pulling out a slip of paper and reading it to himself quickly. Wondering what it was, Obito tried to take a peek from behind, but found Errai was too tall. Before he could try another tactic, however, the guide folded up the paper and held it tight in his hand.

When they at last arrived at the gates, a guard stood in their way. "Purpose?" He asked.

Errai handed him the paper, and the guard quickly skimmed through it.

"Right. Go on ahead, Errai-san."

The guard moved out of the way, and signaled for the gate to be opened. The great wooden doors slowly opened, and Team Arashi stepped through, eager for the sound of bustling streets, the smell of fresh food, and the sight of proper beds. As the gate closed behind them, Obito stepped up next to Errai.

"What was that about?" He asked.

"Hm?" Errai turned his head. Out of the corner of his eye, Obito saw Rin lean closer, and Kakashi spare an eye.

"The guards and everything, I mean." Obito specified.

"Oh, that," said Errai. "River Country doesn't have a shinobi village, as you know, so its military is the only defense it has. Our soldiers are considered mediocre soldiers compared to the kinds of people that run around this world: shinobi, mad samurai, and bandits. Anyway, most of the military is stationed in a different major city, so the capital has to be protected some way or another. That's why we have the gates and walls around it. The guards inspect anyone wishing to enter and anyone prepared to leave, and make sure to find out people's purposes. The whole system was designed by my brother, Doussai, so anyone connected to him can get through a lot easier than others. That's what that slip was."

"I see…" Obito said. He sort of understood it. Because they had no protection, they had to make sure to keep any enemies out. But what if shinobi were to attack? Guards and gates weren't going to keep them out. Obito decided to keep that in mind while he was there.

As they walked through the city, Obito took notice of how the streets were clean, full of shops, tall buildings, and large homes. It was very much like Konoha, now that he thought about it. And yet a little different, somehow. Perhaps it was a different atmosphere? After all, Konoha was safe, and this entire country was in the middle of a civil war.

Errai led them from street to street for several minutes. Sometimes, he pointed out famous restaurants or shops, maybe a famous building or two also. "Not the entire city is like this, though," he was saying. "This is the corporate part. The nice area. The rest of the city is much less…clean."

_Clean?_ Obito thought. _What does he mean 'clean'?_

His question was never voiced, however, as they had arrived at their destination. Obito stared upward, toward the top of the tallest building yet.

"This," Errai said. "is Doussai's home and office. You'll be here throughout most of your stay. Rooms have been prepared, and Doussai himself is ready to meet you, and also give you further instructions and information about your job."

Obito nodded, and, following Errai, walked in. The ground floor seemed to be a lobby of sorts, with stairs at the back. There was a reception desk near the door, but no one was there. The walls were decorated with paintings and photos, a few awards that Obito didn't recognize nor pay much attention to.

Suddenly, however, he noticed a large rat scurrying across the floor to his left and run into a room he hadn't yet noticed. Obito curiously stepped out of the line and stared the small gap between the door and the wall it was built into.

"Nothing in there you should worry yourself about," said Errai, who had apparently noticed him stopping. Obito stirred and looked around. Arashi, Kakashi, and Rin had all stopped too and were all looking at him, impatient and annoyed.

"Right," he said, and joined the others.

The group made their way up three floors before finally reaching their destination. On the way, Obito took notice to a very similar style of decoration as the lobby, as well as many rooms; some empty, and some loud and full.

However, at the top floor was one single hallway with three rooms. On one side was what seemed to be a large meeting room, from what Obito could see in the small cracks in the doors. On the other were one closed door, and one open. Errai stopped at the open door.

"This floor is strictly Doussai-sama's. It contains his study, his office, and a meeting room, for any time he has important issues to discuss. This room here is his office. He's waiting inside, so please follow me."

Errai pushed open the door and walked in. Obito and the others followed. The room was extremely large, especially for an office, being about twice the size of a classroom in the Konoha ninja academy. The walls were all lined with books, labeled with different topics ranging from law to politics to history. The rug beneath their feet was a deep shade of blue, and covered about half the floor of the room. At the other end, a large desk sat covered in piles of paper and pens.

"Doussai-sama," Errai said, bowing, "the shinobi of Konoha have arrived."

A pale man sitting at the desk raised his head. His eyes were grey, a color that was eerily reflected in his much of his black hair. Wrinkles lined his face as he stared at the four of them, seemingly taking in all you could possibly learn from looking at a person. The man slowly stood up, revealing a very intimidating height, and smiled.

"My name is Doussai, as you have heard. A pleasure to meet you all."

Obito stared at his long face, and the sleeked hair. Beneath his eyes were a pair of extremely visible bags.

_How much work does this guy do?_

"A pleasure to meet you as well, Doussai-sama," Arashi said, and bowed. Obito barely noticed a small hint from his teacher that they should do the same, and immediately he found himself, Rin, and Kakashi with their heads halfway to the floor.

"No need for that, now," said Doussai. Obito straightened up. "Before we get to business, I would be pleased to know your names."

"Kazama Arashi, sir. These three are my students: Hatake Kakashi, Iyasu Rin, and Uchiha Obito."

A little annoyed at not being allowed to introduce himself, Obito frowned.

Doussai had paused, as if trying to figure out if any of their names had any meaning to him. Suddenly, he said, "I see. Then, Kazama Arashi-san and students, if you would please sit?" He pointed his hand in to the wall on their left, where five chairs stood unused. The four of them each chose one and pulled it up to Doussai's desk, where the politician had taken his own seat.

When they were all seated and comfortable, he spoke again. "You should have been told of the situation by my brother upon accepting my request to Konoha. Tell me, how much did he tell you?"

"Errai told us that we were to act to as your bodyguards," said Arashi. "But he also told us the story of your war."

"I see. Then there is not much left for me to explain. Did Errai tell you anything of what threats you may face?"

"He did not."

"The rebellion is mostly made up of soldiers, normal military men, or samurai at best. However, I personally suspect that they may have a large enough amount of money to hire shinobi. There is no proof, yet there is reason to believe. It may be something important for you to look out for."

"I see," said Arashi.

"There is more that I would not expect you to know. The rebellions headquarters have been found to be in a city called Kawashuuryou (River's End). It is about twenty-five miles away from here."

_That's not that far from here. At least, compared to our trip from Konoha it isn't. Then again, River Country is small, twenty-five miles be the other end of the country…_

"Very well," said Arashi. "We'll keep that in mind. Is there anything else?"

"Only that you will all be staying in this building while in the city. Rooms have been prepared, and you have permission to go anywhere you need. However, Arashi-san, I would like to speak to you in private."

Arashi nodded, then turned to Obito and the others. "While we take care of that, would the three of you mind taking a look around? Get to know the city, and see if you can find anything useful. I'll find you when I'm done."

"Sure," said Obito.

"No problem," said Rin.

Kakashi nodded.

The three of them filed out of the room and headed down to the lobby as silent as they had been on the road. When they exited the building Kakashi stopped.

"I'll take a look around the northern section of the city," he said. "You two look around the southern part."

Without waiting for a reply, Kakashi made his way to the roof of a nearby building and ran off.

Obito stared to his left, then to his right, and finally down.

"Err… Rin?" He asked.

"Yeah?" Something in her voice told him she knew what was coming.

"Where's south?"

She slapped her forehead.

---

**Rin**

Doussai's office had been at the center of the city. Apparently that was the business and political area, where the streets were bustling and full of people, thought Rin, because down in the south she was finally understanding why Errai had called the area less "clean".

According to the map she bought at one of the vendors, the northern area was where the daimyo lived, so it was the "cleanest" part of the city. For some reason, she could not help but think Kakashi had known that somehow. When she had mentioned that to Obito she was sure he would have a good deal of curses streaming out of his mouth.

That had been before she realized he was gone.

_That fool,_ she thought. _Though I shouldn't be surprised. After all, he didn't know where south is._

She sighed and decided that Obito would be fine on his own. Even if he got lost, there was no way he could get hurt, right? She and Arashi-sensei could just go find him later.

In the meantime she needed to take care of what Arashi had asked. He had only asked for them to scout the place, get to know the city, and keep an eye out for interesting or important things. She didn't know exactly what to look for, but getting to know the place would be easy enough. Her navigational skills had always been superb, and with a map in her hands, it would only be a matter of time before she knew the place as well as she knew Konoha.

Despite this being the area where the lowest class lived, it was still far better than what the smaller cities were probably like. Similar to the business area in the center of the city, it was filled with stores and vendors. However, here it was more of a bazaar. Instead of paying the set prices, she was able to bargain for things. This was probably something important to keep in mind if she ever had to buy anything.

Aside from the vendors and stores, most of the buildings were small houses. Most of them looked like large huts, but built with metal. They were mainly made of wood, but had iron supports that seemed like they were meant to protect the houses from something. She only had one guess what that something could be: floods.

It wasn't called River country for nothing, after all. Most of the city was built on earth, but the main roads were actually canals that spiraled through the circle-shaped city. There were rental boats everywhere, at every miniature port along the canals. Apart from that, there also seemed to be some sort of ferry-like service. Rin had seen many boats sail past her with a man in a strange uniform rowing as other people sat inside and looked around. They were probably tours.

But tourists were probably the only people who spent any money on boats. Nearly every house she passed by had a boat or two locked up next to it, which meant that everyone here had their own boat.

_I should take a boat ride back,_ Rin thought.

For about a half-hour she wandered through the streets, navigating her way through and doing her best to remember what she saw and where it was. She was finally starting to get bored when something caught her attention. A store somewhat larger than the rest on the street stood to her left. A large wooden sign hung at the top.

It read "Shinobi Weaponry".

_A store with shinobi weapons? Here? Who buys from there?_

Curious enough to check it out, Rin walked over to the door, pulled on the rusty door knob, and walked in.

The front room had walls covered with shelves on either side, each one laden with some sort of oddly shaped kunai knife, shuriken, or smoke bomb. Directly across from the entrance was a doorway to the next room.

Rin carefully inspected all the kunai and shuriken. She could tell that they were all forged by someone who definitely was not a professional. The work was shoddy; the shape was messed up and rough, incorrect to fit into one's hand comfortably. There was no cover for the handle either, which made it even more uncomfortable to grip rough steel. And lastly, the tip was deformed and barely evens sharp.

The shuriken were no better. Each one had a different number of edges, and there was no hole in the center to put your finger through. The edges were rough and misformed, as well. Whoever made these, she thought, was no expert.

She carefully returned the shuriken to its place and picked up one of the smoke bombs. Almost immediately she knew something was wrong. The feel was not right; it didn't feel like the metal ball she knew. IN fact, it kind of felt like…

_Rubber?_

Somewhat annoyed at the most likely fake object, she threw it to the ground like she would a normal smoke bomb. It hit the ground with a bang and slowly, slowly opened, releasing little bits of gas.

_This thing is pathetic._

"Can I help you?" She suddenly heard.

She casually turned to face what appeared to be the store owner. He as a man of average height, with long, brown hair and tired eyes.

"Err…" She began. What was she supposed to she say?

"What are you looking for? Anything in particular?"

"Uh, not really. I'm just…taking a look around. I wasn't expecting to find a store with shinobi equipment in River Country."

"Well, why should you? We have no hidden village, and we rely on our military rather than other countries' shinobi. But, I'll tell you, we've had a good deal more shinobi coming through in the past two years. That's why my brother and I opened this store. He makes these weapons, and I sell them. We're the only ones in the business, so whenever shinobi are in the city they always come to us. Plus, some of the citizens buy our stuff, too. The knives and swords, mostly."

"I… I see."

"Well, if you're just looking around, why don't you come into the next room and see what I have there?"

"Alright."

The man led her through the doorway into the other room. To her left was a desk where the man took his place. The rest of the room was occupied by tables and stands advertising strange devices ranging from a weird looking exploding tag to a scroll covered in strange seals.

She walked by a couple of katanas, and picked up the strange scroll.

"What's this?" She asked.

"That," the storekeeper began, "is a seal that summons a jutsu. That one, I believe, summons a blinding flash of light. Interested?"

"Maybe," she said, and put it back in its place.

There were many other interesting things lying around. A rather short katana with black markings all over it. The more Rin looked at it the more she was reminded of Kakashi's white-bladed knife that seemed like it was imbued with chakra.

"That katana is made from a very rare steel," said the shopkeeper, who had evidently checked to see what she was looking at. "They say it acts strangely with a shinobi's jutsu. I've never seen anything happen with it myself; no ones ever looked at it before."

The sword was different from the others in the store. Unlike the ones the wall, it was perfectly made, elegant and sharp. There was no way the same man who made the others had made this.

"Can I ask how you got this?"

"How I got it? Well, let me think now… Ah, yes. I traded a strange ring for it. The ring belonged to my mother, and her mother before hand. I think my grandfather managed to get his hands on it after the previous line of feudal lords was ended. It probably belonged to them."

She remained silent, staring at the sword. Then, finally, she said, "How much?"

"You…you actually want it?" The shopkeeper seemed surprised. "I…well, let me just remind you, what I said about it earlier might be just a story. I don't know if it really has any significance."

"It doesn't matter."

"Very well. Let's see… How about 57,000 yen?"

"Too much. 50,000."

"50,000…"

"Wait, actually… 45,000 and a set of explosion tags. Konoha-make."

"Hm…alright, then. Deal."

The trade was made, and Rin found herself holding the strange sword that was now in her possession. Before she left the store, she bought a few of the smoke bombs, thinking they may just come in handy sometime.

It was already getting dark, so she decided it was probably time to head back. Arashi had probably not needed more than an hour to speak to Doussai, and she had been gone for a few. Kakashi was probably done already, too. Obito… Who knew?

As she had planned, she paid for a boat to ferry her back to Doussai's office. She gave the uniformed man his money, and quickly found the tall building she had come from. When she arrived, she found Kakashi and Obito both there already, talking about something.

"You two getting along?" She said, surprising them both. "Whatever you're talking about must be interesting. What is it?"

"We met someone," said Obito. "He's a shinobi!"

_A shinobi? Here? I guess there is reason to have a shinobi store…_

"He claims to be descended from what once was the shinobi village in the River Country," continued Kakashi. "There was one maybe a hundred or so years ago. From his abilities, I'd say he wasn't lying."

"Huh."

"He was pretty strong too," said Obito. "Let me tell you about it."

---

Obito (Flashback)

"_Oy, Rin, take a look at this! It's a necklace with a symbol almost the same as the Uchiha clan symbol!"_

_Obito spun around to see why his companion was being quiet, only to find that she was not there._

"_Huh…? Where did she go? Rin? Oy, Rin, where are you?!"_

_There was no answer. Apparently she had already left._

"_Wait a minute… She had the map, and I don't know my way around this place. Does that mean I'm…lost?"_

_It took a moment for that fact to sink in._

"_Shit, shit, shit, SHIT! I'M LOST! What do I do? Where do I go? How the hell am I gonna get back to Doussai's office?!"_

_Panicked, Obito sped through the street hoping that Rin had not gotten too far away. There was a chance she was still near, and he could find her and not be lost._

_Hopeful as he was, that was not so. Rin was nowhere to be found. At last, Obito gave up and began to wander the streets. Even if he was alone, he could still do his best to do as Arashi said and keep an eye out for things that might come in handy another time. But as he continued to walk and stare, nothing out of the ordinary made itself visible. Eventually, as time passed, Obito stopped paying attention to anything but street signs and maps on sale. Rin had the map they had bought as well as the money they had bought it with, so he could not buy another and find his way around._

_He turned a corner and suddenly found himself facing a dead end. Instead of turning around like a normal person, he decided to give himself something fun to do. The young Uchiha focused his chakra to the soles of his feet and burst into a swift run up the wall. At the top, he found something he had not expected._

_He was back at the city center._

_Obito let out a whoop, and looked ahead. There were many buildings tall enough to see most of the city from. And from up here, he could easily reach them without causing a disturbance._

_He jumped from the wall to a nearby building that seemed to be some sort of apartment building, and from there onto a company held office. Doussai's office was clearly visible from here as it was among the tallest buildings. Instead of returning there, however, he tried any other interesting direction he could head in._

_To his left was a small water-tower that overlooked the southern section of the city, where Rin had abandoned him (how cruel!). Behind him was a building that marked north, east, south, and west, which was a very dear help to him. The most interesting thing he found, however, was a part of the canal system making its way into the city center until it hid behind some buildings and apparently ended up in some sort of large pool right in the center. Or so Rin's map had shown._

_Deciding that was what he wanted to see, Obito jumped down to a lower building and made his way from roof to roof until he finally came upon the canal. It was a good twenty feet long, and boats were constantly passing through. When there was finally a gap in the traffic, Obito looked both ways, found nothing, and immediately burst forward in a dive. _

_The water was actually pretty cold, which luckily balanced out Obito's annoyance at keeping his jacket on. Even though it became heavy and pulled him down, at least it kept him a little warmer. The canal was about fifteen feet deep, and with his water-heavy jacket, he was able to keep far enough from the surface so that no oar would hit him._

_When at last he emerged at the other end, he was exhausted. Obito slowly pushed himself out of the water and found himself in a slightly different place. The other side of the canal was different than what the rest of the city center was like; instead of tall buildings and big stores, he found smaller yet in no way poor-looking houses. The only stores anywhere were just vendors who bothered to come to this quiet area, where hardly any people seemed to be._

_Obito began to wander through the area, looking for anything interesting. However, nothing interesting seemed to be here. In fact, if it wasn't so nice-looking, he may have thought it was abandoned._

_He continued wandering, finding nothing, and hoping to God that someone interesting would happen already._

_Apparently, God answered._

_As he was walking, Obito felt something brush against his lower leg, and a second later, he was on the floor._

"_Argh! What the hell was that?"_

_He got up and inspected the area. He was positive he had tripped over something, but there was no wire, and nothing on the ground large enough for him to trip over. Did he really trip?_

_And then something caught his eye. He turned his head to the right. A path between two houses led out into a green, open area. Some sort of small field, maybe. More importantly than that, though, he saw someone in that field. Someone who seemed to be performing some sort of technique. Some sort of jutsu._

_Obito ran out to the field, just as the person noticed him as well. He could see that it was a boy, maybe a few years older than him. The boy's eyes widened when he saw Obito coming towards him, and immediately he bolted. Obito ran hard to catch up, but the boy was fast._

_There were trees at the other end of the field. The boy ran into them, Obito following. The moment he was under the shade of the trees Obito realized he had run into some woods. Normally, it would have bothered him that he was running into unfamiliar territory, but now it wasn't important. He was more interested in the boy he was chasing._

"_Hey! Wait up! What're you running away for?" He yelled._

_The boy's response was merely a strange movement of his arm. A few seconds later Obito felt a burst of wind breeze by his face. It hadn't been strong enough to move him, but he was positive it had just cut him. As he followed the boy up into the branches of the trees, he realized that this guy might just be a shinobi._

**He wasn't wearing a headband or anything, and there's no hidden village in River Country, but… That was definitely a jutsu! No doubt about it!**

_The strange "shinobi" suddenly stopped and jumped back. Unable to stop in mid-air, Obito suffered a strong kick to the stomach, as well as a fall onto a hard branch. He quietly thanked God that he didn't fall down to the ground._

"_Stop following," said the shinobi._

"_Why?" Obito croaked._

"_I have my reasons."_

_Obito got up. "Listen, I'm from Konoha. I'm a shinobi. And I know you are, too! You used some sort of jutsu!"_

_Obito watched as the boy's gaze wandered up to his forehead protector, then closed his eyes._

"_I don't care. Just don't follow me."_

"_Or what?"_

"_I'll break your legs and force you to."_

_Obito was taken aback. You didn't get a threat like that so soon. At least, not usually. This guy really didn't want him to follow him._

"_Go ahead and try. I need some exercise."_

_The shinobi made a face that clearly told Obito he had hoped the threat would scare him. But then…_

"_Fine."_

_He lunged forward. Obito began to jump back, but the boy stopped at the branch in front of him and jumped back. By some sort of reflex, Obito stopped halfway through jumping and lost his balance. The boy then jumped forward and knocked him off the branch._

_Obito caught another one as he fell and jumped up on it, only to suddenly feel two bursts of wind fly by him and cut his arms._

**What the hell is that?**

_When he looked up, the boy was already gone. Somehow, Obito knew where he was. He grabbed a kunai, and spun, slashing as he did. The boy, who had come up from behind, stopped and ducked. Obito completed the spin and threw a low roundhouse kick as he began to turn away, hitting the boy square in the jaw and knocking him away._

_The boy managed to through himself off that particular branch and regain his balance on another. Obito smirked, which seemed to piss him off._

"_See? I'm not that bad, am I?"_

"_Tch."_

_The shinobi performed a set of hand seals, and inhaled. Obito thought he saw him smirk right before he released a large burst of wind. He managed to dodge, and watch the exact spot he had just been standing was ravaged by a ball of invisible wind._

_The boy continued to through those cutting breezes of his, but each one Obito managed to dodge better than the last. He couldn't see the wind, but, he realized, he could hear it._

_The boy released another ball of wind, but this time Obito had an idea. The moment he saw the boy go through the seals, he did his own._

_Katon: Gougakyuu no jutsu. The ball of wind met the ball of fire. The fireball was larger and dominated the wind, stopping it in its place. Fire travels on oxygen, Obito said to himself, as the fireball began to speed along the same path of air the ball of wind had. The boy saw this and immediately got away._

**Fire over wind. I have the clear advantage.**

_The boy jumped to another branch and began firing his breezes once more. Obito performed the seals for Housenka, and began to release smaller fireballs to inflame each current of air._

_The boy continued to jump around and shoot breezes, just as Obito continued to fire more and more fireballs at him. He was beginning to feel a little weary. There was no doubt that those breezes took a hell of a lot less chakra than the fireballs. If this continued, the boy might be able to exhaust Obito's chakra._

_But that didn't seem to be his plan. There were two currents Obito apparently had not noticed, and each one flew by his face, cutting his cheeks. They were very well placed, Obito thought, because they had cut deep enough to hurt his mouth. Using fireballs now would probably make the damage worse, which meant that his best weapon against this guy was no made useless._

**He's pretty clever, then. I shouldn't underestimate him anymore.**

_But he still had more weapons that the other guy did not possess._

_Obito left the branch he had been standing on and pulled out a handful of shuriken. The volley was instantly targeted at his opponent the moment it was clear where he was about to go. The boy managed to avoid them all, but Obito wasn't done yet. Next, he flung a kunai at him, that the boy also dodged. The kunai embedded itself in a tree right behind him._

**Apparently,**_ thought Obito, _he **isn't aware of what an explosion tag is.**

_The kunai exploded behind the boy, throwing him far away from where he had been. Obito followed, and found him getting up off the ground beneath the trees._

**Was that maybe too much?**_ He thought._

_But apparently not. The boy shot an air current at him while Obito was in midair. Unable to dodge, Obito braced himself, took the hit, and landed with near perfect balance._

_The boy had gotten up. Obito entered the standard Uchiha fighting stance, preparing to fight. The boy took his cue and launched a physical attack at him. Obito blocked his first punch and avoided the second, attempting to headbutt his stomach. The boy jumped and landed on Obito's back, then pushed off his feet, knocking Obito headfirst into the ground._

_He got up, and faced the boy again. This time, he was the first to attack. In Ninjutsu they seemed to be pretty evenly matched. In Taijutsu, from the looks of it, they were as well. Obito had the better form and style, but the boy was much faster and just barely stronger than him._

_They continued to fight there until at last Obito knocked him away and out of the woods, back out to the field. He ran out after him, and lunged. The boy caught his fist and held it, then caught his shoulder, preventing Obito's other arm from moving past it. The boy hit him in the stomach with a very strong knee, then pushed him back with a kick._

_Obito got up, but the boy was already leaping over his head. The Uchiha spun, but the boy backhanded his arm and caught it, then punched him in the face. However, he didn't let go of his arm, keeping Obito from moving out of reach. As Obito recoiled from the punch, the boy dug into his pouch and pulled out one of Obito's kunai, then put it to Obito's throat._

**Damnit…**

_But before anything else could happen, the boy's eyes widened in shock. As did Obito's, when he saw the tall silver hair, black outfit, and blinding white knife appear behind his opponent._

"_Back off," said Kakashi._

"_Tch."_

_The boy released Obito._

"_Two against one is unfair," he said._

"_Unfair is usually a pretty good way to describe how most shinobi's lives are ended."_

_The boy shut up, and Kakashi let him go._

"_Who are you?" He asked._

"_That's not your business," the boy replied._

"_I don't care," Kakashi bit back. He made his knife visible once more. "What's your name?"_

_The boy remained silent for a while, then gave up. "…Hizumu Teii."_

"_Allegiance?" Kakashi continued._

"_No one."_

_Kakashi put his knife back in its sheath, apparently deciding that this Hizumu Teii was not a danger to him._

_Then he turned to Obito. "Care to explain why you were fighting?"_

"_Uh… Well, I saw him practicing his Ninjutsu, and tried to get near to watch. He ran off and told me not to follow, then threatened to break my legs, so I…fought him?"_

"…_Idiot. Don't fight random strangers, especially if you're on a mission."_

"_Still," he said. "Its interesting to find a shinobi here in River Country."_

_He turned back to Teii, expecting an answer to that._

_Teii sighed. "River Country has no Hidden Village, but it did, until around a hundred years ago. I'm descended from the remnants of that village."_

_Kakashi said nothing, but Obito did._

"_If you're from a Hidden River Village, why are all your techniques air-based?"_

"_Air currents are somewhat like rivers of air, aren't they? My ancestors used water the same way I use air, but I have yet to figure out how to do that. In any case, I have wind-natured chakra, so it suits me."_

"_Uh huh."_

_The more they spoke, the less threatening and vicious Teii became. In fact, by the time they were all sitting down and talking, he seemed completely different from the boy Obito had been fighting not too long ago. Even Kakashi seemed to like him._

_They stayed where they were, Teii telling them about River Country in the last few years from a citizens point of view, while Obito and Kakashi told him what it was like living in a shinobi village. When it finally began to start getting dark, Kakashi decided it was probably time to start heading back. Obito agreed, and the two of them made their way back to Doussai's office, all the while talking about Teii. About a minute after they had arrived, they met up with Rin._

---

Meanwhile, back in Konoha…

---

**Katto**

Hinote Katto had always been irritable. Since he was small, he had always been lacking of patience for annoyances. Not only that, but he also seemed to be a very powerful annoyance magnet.

When he was little he had lived near the people he had always categorized as "Most Annoying". In the academy, he was always placed in classes among the most irritating students he had ever met. And now, as a Genin, he found himself sitting side by side with two very annoying teammates, and a teacher who was only somewhat better off than them.

To his left sat Gengetsu Kaikou. He was tall and skinny, and pretty obnoxious. He seemed to think that being from a known clan made him better than people who weren't. He wasn't weak, no, but he was definitely not strong. Compared to himself, the top rookie, Kaikou was not amazing, but Katto had to admit he had some skill, even if it was all taught to him by his family.

On his right was Heikin Katsura. Although she wasn't annoying by personality, she was irritating in her lack of confidence. Even on simple Genin missions, she was always second-guessing and doubting herself, which made her a weakness and liability to the team. Despite that, however, her skills weren't bad for someone out of an ordinary family. She was a perfect balance between Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu.

And in front of him, standing and sighing, was his supposed "teacher", Nara Shikaku. The man was skilled and well-known as a shinobi, but when it came to being a teacher, Shikaku had few moments where he truly shined. He was pretty lazy, not to mention somewhat of an alcoholic. In Katto's opinion, the only thing he was good for was backup incase something went wrong and they needed him.

It was strange, though, how the person who was Katto's best friend and the only person who didn't annoy him like all others was probably one of the most annoying people in their graduating class. Katto had always assumed he had simply gotten used to Obito, which meant that maybe in the future his team wouldn't be so irritating to him.

He hoped so, anyway.

"Shikaku-sensei," said Kaikou, "I heard the Chunin Exams were coming up?"

_Hoping to get yourself promoted? Good luck._

Shikaku sighed. "I was hoping none of you would bring that up. Yes, the Chunin Exams are beginning in two weeks. However, you're still rookies, and even though you've all been doing well, you're not ready for the Chunin Exams just yet."

_Translated to truth: only one of you has a chance to be promoted._

"Besides," Katto said, lying back onto the bench he sat on, "even if we all were Chunin level, our teamwork is pathetic, and you enter the Chunin Exam as a team. We could be the strongest three shinobi there, but the three weakest with the best teamwork could still beat us to the promotion."

"Katto's right," said Shikaku. "I was going to mention that maybe you'll be ready for the next Chunin Exams, but your teamwork stays this way, I doubt it."

"Whatever," said Kaikou. "I'll be ready for the next one. I will, at least, if Katto stops being so irritable. Honestly, I stopped to read a sign and you yelled at me to catch up."

…_My bad?_

"Provoking him isn't helping with the whole teamwork issue, you know…" Said Shikaku.

_He's right,_ thought Katto, who had been about to retort.

"Anyway," said Shikaku, "you're all dismissed for today."

And he disappeared. Katto knew he couldn't wait until he was finally able to leave. Neither could he himself, actually.

"Well," said Kaikou, who stood up, "I'm leaving." And he walked off as well.

Katto stood, battling within himself. He knew he should probably try to help Katsura get stronger and more confident, but in the words of his teacher, it was too troublesome. He'd much rather spend his time sparring with Obito, or maybe his teammate Kakashi if possible. Nevertheless, even if his pride would not allow him to willingly be near Kaikou, Katsura was a different matter.

At last he made his decision. "Hey, Katsura,"

"Yeah?" She said quietly.

_Come on. For the sake of becoming a Chunin._

"My best friend is away on a mission, so I need a sparring partner."

It seemed to take her a minute to understand that he was offering her help. "Y-yeah, sure."

"Good. Meet me at Shikaku's favorite training grounds tomorrow morning."

"Alright."

And with that done, Katto left.

He still had another matter to attend to. Katsura wasn't much of a sparring partner. Most of the time, he would probably be helping her rather than fighting her. So until Obito got back, which could be a month from now, he needed to find a new sparring partner.

He had no idea where to look. None of his old classmates ever interested him, so his only thoughts were to befriend someone older than him. The older Genin were given more C-ranked missions, though, so they were out of town as often as the Chunin and Jounin.

For the time being he wandered through Konoha, unsure of what to do. Training on his own had become tiresome and boring, and his older brother was busy. Hinote Hizuru had been chosen as a proctor for the coming Chunin Exam in Konoha, which meant he was working day and night one the part of the exam that he was in charge of.

That wasn't to say that Hizuru never had time for him. After all, Hizuru had taught him the unique combat style he used. His brother had invented it through the use of chakra nature training, an entire style of fighting that mixed Taijutsu with elemental Ninjutsu. Now, Katto used everything that Hizuru had taught him, and was adding just as much to it as his brother.

Katto sighed. He didn't just need a new sparring partner. He needed a new friend as well. But his irritable personality just didn't seem to allow it.

He was walking through the path he usually took to reach the Uchiha grounds, for reasons he couldn't fathom. He had no idea exactly what he would do when he got there, but he decided to figure that out later.

He turned his head to the side, looking at all the houses and stores he had never paid any attention to, until he came across the shop he knew Obito's family always bought from. "Kiosei's Weapons", according to the sign. He had never been inside, but now was as good a time as ever.

When he entered, no one was there. Katto had heard a good deal about the store owner from Obito, and from the sound of it, the guy was probably someone he didn't want to bother dealing.

For now, he took to browsing the store. He had to admit, even though Obito had described Kiosei Massaro as a lazy, idiot, drunk, his work was actually really good. Every weapon was perfectly made, and some, he found, were strangely shaped and far more comfortable to use than what he had. The katanas came in all sorts of sizes; some were the size of large knives, other were two feet taller than him. He vaguely wondered who would use either of those.

The only weapons in the room were the sharp ones; he saw no smoke bombs or explosion tags, probably because if anyone used one in the store it could destroy it or damage the stuff. Aside from the weapons, however, he saw some other shinobi equipment Scrolls, pouches, radios, and other interesting things.

"Well, let me know if anything happens to them again," he heard. Katto turned to see the door to the back of the store open, and Kiosei Massaro came out, followed by a boy maybe a year older than him.

Massaro went behind his desk and only then noticed Katto's presence.

"Ah, another costumer! Are you an Uchiha, boy?"

"No," he answered.

"Then why are you here?"

Was that not obvious? Katto's gaze drifted over to the other boy, whose expression seemed to say, "He's not right in the head".

"My friend Uchiha Obito recommended this shop," he said in the end.

"Hm? Obito…Obito…oh yes! Uchiha Obito. Spiky black hair, goggles?"

Katto nodded. Shouldn't he remember Obito considering how often he was here?

"Alright, then. Keep browsing, I'll be with you in a moment." And he turned back to the other boy. Katto turned back to what he was looking out, but did not tune out of their conversation.

"Now, Asuma," said Massaro, "the first version of those knives didn't seem to be able to take a lot of chakra. Hopefully with a different type of metal it may be able to do so. If not, I will do my best to find one that does."

"Right," said Asuma. "Keep in mind though, Massaro, if these things break on me in a dangerous situation, my death will be your fault."

"Yes, yes, I'm sure we'll be happy to see you married."

Asuma said nothing, then began walking towards the exit. As he passed Katto, he whispered, "He's drunk."

"Ah," Katto said to himself. "That explains it all." He was pretty sure the man wasn't normal regardless of whether he was drunk or sober.

As Asuma headed toward the door, Massaro turned his attention on Katto. "Looking for anything in particular, boy?"

"I think I just need some explosion tags. That's it."

"Right. Give me a moment."

Massaro searched under his desk and pulled out a stack of tags. Katto paid him, and rushed out.

Just as he had hoped, the other boy, Asuma, had not gone too far. Katto caught up with him quickly.

"Something tells me he was sober, actually."

Asuma didn't seem surprised by his sudden appearance.

"Why's that?" He said.

"My friend Obito is his most common costumer. He says Massaro isn't completely right in the head. He was a shinobi once, so that might explain it."

"Uh huh."

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence as they walked.

"Is there any other reason you're here?"

"The same friend I just mentioned is my only sparring partner. He's out of town."

"You don't have anyone else? Another team member?"

"Actually, he's not even on my team. One of my teammates is too irritable to suffer sparring with, and the other isn't much of a challenge."

"I see. So why'd you come to me?"

"I prefer to think you came to me. I don't know anyone outside of my graduating class, but then I happened to meet you."

"Right. Well, if you can give me or my teammates a challenge, then it doesn't bother me."

"I'm top rookie, that's gotta count for something, doesn't it?"

"Maybe, maybe not. Though, I don't even know your name."

"Hinote Katto."

"Sarutobi Asuma."

"Sarutobi? Wouldn't that make you…"

"The Hokage's son? If you take care never to remind me of that we'll get along fine."

_Well, that's interesting._

"Right. So what are those knives you and Massaro were talking about?"

Asuma pulled out the two knives. "They're chakra knives. They're supposed to react to your chakra depending on its nature, but so far none of the one's Massaro has given me seem to be able to handle it. He needs some sort of special steel, but he has no way of getting his hands on it."

"Ah."

For a while they walked, until finally they reached one of Konoha's many, many training grounds. Two other people were there waiting. As he and Asuma walked up to them, they looked at him.

Asuma took to the liberty of introducing him.

"Guys, this is Hinote Katto. He needs a sparring partner. We're giving him three."

One nodded and the other shook his hand.

Asuma pointed at the one sitting on the left, the one who had nodded. He was tall, with onyx colored eyes, and had a very serious expression. His hair was black and a little long. He was one of those people who you could never imagine how they'd look without hair. "He's Morino Ibiki."

"And that," he said, pointing at the other, who was bald, somewhat short, and looked good-natured. "That's Chiriku."

---

Over the next two weeks, Katto spent most of his time with Asuma and his teammates. All three of them were better than him at something or other. Asuma was a better fighter, while with Chiriku he was evenly matched and Ibiki he barely defeated. Ibiki was clearly the smartest of the four, and he was able to toy with Katto psychologically at every chance he got. Chiriku was much more calm than he was, and was better than him at Genjutsu and Ninjutsu.

Despite that, he enjoyed hanging with them and sparring with them. Every time he lost he had gotten better at something, and they all had become friends to him. Somehow, he found none of them irritating. At least, not as irritating as his teammates.

He was sparring with Asuma one day after a long and pointless D-ranked mission with his team. He had just finished telling the older boy about the pathetic grouping that was his team.

Asuma aimed a slash at him with his kunai, which Katto dodged. He caught Asuma's forearm and held it to the side as he threw a punch at his face. Asuma blocked it with the top of his head, then sweep-kicked Katto and knocked him off his feet.

Katto rolled away, subtly pulled out a kunai, and then jumped to his feet. Asuma charged, kunai in hand, which was quickly blocked by Katto with his own knife. Katto grabbed both of Asuma's wrists, and used the older boy's heavier body to jump up and kick him with both legs. Asuma fell back, but was up again in no time.

"Time," yelled Chiriku from outside their battlefield. An hour of fighting and neither had won yet. Both boys took seats on boulders alongside Chiriku and Ibiki.

"You know, Katto," Asuma said, "I have to admit I doubted you at first, even with you being top rookie. You're much better than I thought."

"Doesn't change the fact that I have yet to beat any of you."

"We have more experience. Besides, you're getting better each time."

"So are you. I assume that's because you hold back less each time."

"Well, yeah. Anyway, by the time the next Chunin Exam comes around you'll definitely have what it takes. But from what you tell us of your team, I doubt you'll make it that far."

Katto said nothing.

"So what will you do about that?" Asked Ibiki.

"No idea," he said.

"You've got to do something."

Once again, he said nothing.

"You know," said Chiriku. "I bet if you swallowed your pride and told that Gengetsu kid that you need to work together more, he might actually admit that you're right. Then you'll all do better once you're giving each other a chance."

"He doesn't deserve the chance."

"Fine. Guess we won't be seeing you at the Chunin Exams next year."

Katto sighed.

The next day, after the team had been dismissed, Katto decided he should take Chiriku's advice.

"Oy, Kaikou."

The other Genin stopped and turned.

"What?"

Katto was suddenly became aware of the fact that Shikaku had stopped walking.

He sighed. "I don't like you, and I know you don't like me. But for the sake of becoming Chunin, I think I'm willing to get over that and work together. Because I know and I know you know that if we don't start getting along and working as a team we don't have a chance of succeeding."

Kaikou said nothing.

"…So what do you say?"

It took a moment, but it finally came.

"Yeah. Fine." And he left.

Before he left, he thought he heard Shikaku chuckle.

_Chiriku, you bastard, now I actually have to hang out with that guy._

But at least now he had gotten over his teammate problem. And that made him wonder how Obito was doing with his teammate.

---

**Kakashi**

Over the last three weeks, Team Arashi had adapted to life in the River Country capital. Everyday they would take turns guarding Doussai as he went about his business. Usually Arashi would place Kakashi, Rin, or Obito on the job and take care of other important things that he didn't seem to trust them with. Kakashi believed he may have been going out to scout and speak with the gatekeepers to see if there's anything suspicious in their list of people who have entered the city.

Rin spent most of her spare time buying supplies that Doussai had been unable to give them. Thanks to him, they had free food and shelter, but the only shinobi supplies they had was what they bought and what usable stuff they found in the store Rin had told them about.

Obito, on the other hand, had come across Hizumu Teii once again a few days after their first encounter. After that, Obito spent all of his free time with the older boy, usually sparring, but sometimes only hanging out. With Arashi and Rin taking care of all the important business, Kakashi had been left with nothing much to do during his own spare time, so every once and a while he would join Obito and Teii.

Despite what he had expected, Teii was actually a very strong shinobi for someone who trained himself. His Taijutsu form was raw, but passable, and his Ninjutsu was strong. He had little to no knowledge of Genjutsu and possessed hardly any shinobi weapons. However, Kakashi believed that he was still at a high Genin level, and with some proper training, could probably manage to pass a Chunin Exam.

Despite his continued disregard of rules, Obito, too was becoming better and better from sparring against someone with an unfamiliar style. If he were to follow the rules more thoroughly, Obito could probably manage to pass a Chunin Exam too after a few more months of preparation. But alas, Kakashi told himself, he could not hope to pass the exam the way that he was. Most likely, he would end up failing by messing up coping with the rules.

Speaking of Obito's inability to follow rules, he was currently late. Kakashi had been guarding Doussai for four hours, and at last Obito's shift had come. Almost an hour ago. Arashi and Rin had gone out to the outskirts of the city to try to set up some serveilence, so Obito was his only possible replacement.

He was currently with the politician in his office, leaning against the wall, and studying the room. He already knew it perfectly from spending all his time doing the same thing. At last there was a fast rap on the door, and without waiting for an answer, Obito threw it open.

"I'm…late, aren't I?" He said, panting.

Kakashi didn't even bother answering him. It would have just been the same thing he always said. Instead, he went into lecture mode.

"Listen, Obito. I don't care anymore if you're late to training sessions or to D-ranked missions inside Konoha. But you're on an important mission right now. You can't be late for something like this!"

"I know, I know! I won't do it again!"

"No, you don't know. Imagine that I had a long shift, and was tired from it. And you were late, which made me even more tired. And then what if something happened? If someone attacked? I would be in a bad position to defend Doussai-san!"

Obito said nothing, but actually looked down in shame. "Yeah, I know. I promise, it won't happen again while we're here."

'_While we're here'. Not when we get back to Konoha? Well, I guess it's still something._

"Good. Now—"

He was cut short by a sudden sound. Immediately, he realized.

"Obito, behind you!" He yelled as he lunged forward and pulled Doussai under his desk. He just barely made it, and found a long, stone arrow embedded in the wall, right behind where Doussai's heart would have been had it hit.

Obito spun around. Standing on the wall through the use of chakra was a shinobi dressed in a uniform and headband of the Hidden Stone.

"Tch. I missed," He said. "How lousy of me."

Kakashi saw Obito bend and immediately exhale a ball of fire. The stone shinobi jumped off the wall and away from the fireball. Obito lunged at him with a kunai, but the shinobi was too quick. He knelt and swept Obito off his feet, then grabbed him by the neck. Obito struggled, but the man's hold was clearly strong.

Kakashi left Doussai where he was and tried to kick the shinobi away from Obito. Unfortunately, the man caught his foot and pushed his leg back but Kakashi revealed a hidden shuriken in his hand. As he launched it, the man saw what he was doing, and let go of both boys in time to get away.

Even as the man let go, Kakashi felt a strange pain in his leg, and saw that Obito had been cut near his collarbone. As he regained his balance and Obito his breath, the man lunged back and kicked Kakashi away. Obito attacked him with a kunai, but the shinobi blocked it with his own.

As they each struggled to push back the other, Kakashi jumped over the man, grabbed his arm, and pulled it up behind his back. He brought out his own kunai and held it to the man's back.

Before he could tell him to surrender, however, the shinobi kicked Kakashi's ankle, then him by the collar, while still facing Obito. Kakashi winced as he was pulled up in the air and thrown right into Obito. As he recovered from the attack, Kakashi got a glimpse of the empty space behind Doussai's desk, and realized that their client must have escaped without anyone noticing.

As for their opponent, he put his hands together in one seal, and his vest instantly turned to stone. Another seal and two stone spears emerged from the stone vest.

"Alright, brats. I'll make this quick for you, then I'll take care of the politician."

The man smirked.

_This guy… There's no doubt about it. He's a Jounin.  
_

* * *

**Well, I know that doesn't make up for the long wait, but I promise it will. Now that school is starting again, I'll be back on schedule, and I'll be writing a little bit everyday. Expect a new chapter every two weeks, TOPS. I also can't help but mention the most recent chapter, 367. For those who are wondering, I'm not changing Kazama Arashi to Namikaze Minato. I like Kazama Arashi better, even if Kazama is almost all typed with one finger (my poor pinky!).**

** Also, as I wrote this chapter I couldn't help but feel that I was writing it a little differently then I have so far. If anyone else feels that I did, please let me know.**

**Finally: Please Review! It inspires me to write faster!  
**


	8. Conspiracy

**Sorry I didn't keep my promise. School got me back on schedule, but filled it too. I won't deny I was lazy too, but it's also partly because I had to adjust to being back in school. Anyway, I won't waste your time. Enjoy the chapter. **

* * *

**  
**

**Loser Uchiha**

_Chapter VII – Conspiracy_

**The Scout**

As far as he could see, the coast was clear. At this time of day, the streets of the Capital were quieting down as people returned home and settled down for the day. Out here in the outskirts the farmers had retreated a while ago, in time for the team to set up their plan and prepare for its execution.

Leaning against a tree, Shima listened hard for the sound of movement. Nagenai had instructed Hiyako to make his attack while the Jounin was away from the politician, to ensure that the assassination was carried out without interruptions. They did not need long; so long as the politician was dead, it didn't matter if the Jounin returned in time to stop Hiyako's escape.

Of course, just because the Jounin was gone didn't mean the target had no defenses. He definitely had a guard, maybe two, but they were Genin; Hiyako would spill their blood in an instant.

Shima grinned. Thus far, everything was going according to plan. His own job in this mission was to keep an eye out for the Jounin and monitor his movements. If the Jounin stopped whatever he was doing and returned to the city, Shima was to convey the warning to his teammates within the city and move in himself as backup.

No one was near. Shima bent low, and silently jumped to the next tree. The Jounin had wandered a little farther north. With the many trees in the way, Shima could no longer see him.

He knew he had to be extremely careful. The moment he spotted the Jounin for the first time, he knew this mission had just become far more difficult. In fact, seeing the Jounin himself made Shima wonder if Nagenai himself was even aware of that man's presence. It was possible; Nagenai definitely had the ego to think he could take him on, possibly even kill or capture him. More importantly, he had the skill to back up that ego.

Shima himself doubted it. Even Nagenai stood no chance against Konoha's infamous Yellow Flash; with Hiyako's help, however…

Was that his plan? The Jounin would no doubt return soon, in time to find whatever Genin was standing guard to be dead. But chances were, Hiyako may still be there. If he was, and if Nagenai came out as well, there was a chance they could beat the Yellow Flash. If they captured him, they would instantly go down in Stone village history, and Shima himself as well, simply for being on this mission.

Still, it was a daring risk. But Nagenai was in charge of this mission, everything was his call. All he could do was hope that nothing went wrong.

Dusk had come at last, and a full moon glowed brightly in the cloudless sky. Shima couldn't help but think that that was the worst possible situation for him to be in right now. He was renowned in the village for his skills in stealth, but he was still a Chunin. Hey may have the sneakiness of a Jounin, but a Jounin like Kazama Arashi was still superior. _I have to be extremely cautious,_ he thought, _or this mission could be the end of me._

As he slowly moved from tree to tree, edging closer to the Yellow Flash with each step, Shima thought back to Nagenai's instructions for this mission.

"_Our aim is clear," Nagenai said. "Assassinate the politician and escape. Currently, he has hired a team from Konoha, one Jounin and three Genin. The Jounin is our only threat. But two of us here equal his strength, and the others are near Jounin level themselves. We shall have no problems."_

"_Hiyako," he said, turning to the edgy Jounin, "you will be carrying out the assassination. It will be done during the sunset. For the entire day before that, you will keep an eye on the three Genin, watch them. Evaluate their capabilities. More than likely, they will be your only opponents."_

_Hiyako nodded._

"_I myself will be waiting as your backup, incase something were to go wrong, or the politician were to somehow escape while you fight the Genin."_

_He nodded again._

"_Jisui, Shima," he said, turning to the two Chunin. "The two of you will serve as both our backups. I want Jisui inside the city, near the walls, and Shima outside on the outskirts. I'll be setting up a trap to lure away the Jounin, to make sure he doesn't get in Hiyako's way. He should be outside the city walls for twenty minutes at most, if we can help it. While he is, I want you to keep an eye on him. Whenever he decides to return to the city, you will follow a few minutes after him, and wait for us. If anything goes wrong, it's on you."_

'_But two of us here equal his strength'_, Nagenai had said. Originally, Shima had thought he meant each of the two Jounin was equal to the enemy Jounin. Now, however, he was unsure of whether it was possible Nagenai had meant that together they were equal to him.

There! The Jounin was in sight! Shima curled his neck around the tree to try to get a full glimpse of him. He studied the Jounin, who seemed unaware of Shima's presence. He could see a clear, perfect shot that would kill the shinobi instantly, right from where he stood. But Shima dared not try it. Experience told him that the Jounin would be able to avoid it. But even more so, if he did, the mission's failure would be Shima's fault. Not only would he die, but he would become the shame of the village.

He moved a little closer. The Jounin seemed to be inspecting something on the ground. He could not see what it was, but likely it was the trap Nagenai had set to lure him out here.

_Well, it's been about ten minutes already. Hiyako's probably done. But this guy doesn't seem like he's planning on leaving anytime soon. If Hiyako and Nagenai come back through here, they'll run straight into him… _

What would he do then? If the Jounin didn't show up to save his student in the politician's office, then most likely Nagenai and Hiyako would come here… If they fought…

Unfortunately, he no longer had the time to think about that, because a sharp, metal object had just slid in front of his throat. His eyes widened in shock as he felt a sharp pain in his back.

"Don't move."

---

**Arashi**

The Yellow Flash smiled as he heard the words.

"Don't move."

His eyes drifted up and to the left, where he saw half the face of a panicked man. On his forehead was the forehead protector of the Hidden Stone village. Behind him was Rin, her kunai poised at the man's throat, and a chakra scalpel digging into his back. She had done well.

"Good job, Rin," he called, then jumped up into the trees himself. He didn't want to bring the man out in the open. There could be someone else watching. Better to have them unsure of whether their teammate had been found than to have them know for sure.

The shinobi's eyes met Arashi's own. There was panic in them, he could see, but there was even more fear. Clearly the man had realized just who had just captured him. Arashi had heard the rumor that Stone shinobi were instructed to flee upon sight of him. He was honored to find out it was true.

He quickly scouted the area, to ensure that no one was watching. Once he was sure nothing was nearby, he jumped up into the trees, and made his way around to Rin and the Iwa (stone) nin. Rin had remained still, not removing her eyes from her captive, even when Arashi came up to them. _Very good_, he thought. _She must have paid attention at the academy, unlike most of her classmates._

As Rin held their captive still, Arashi pulled out a rope and tied him up. Once that was done, he threw the man over his shoulder with rather surprising strength, and beckoned for his student to follow.

He led her about thirty meters away, and then dropped down to the forest floor. Rin followed him down, and Arashi slowly untied the man and retied him to a tree.

"Why here?" Rin asked quietly.

"Out in plain view, we may be found by his teammates as we interrogate him," he answered. "In a clearing, too, we may be found. But here in the middle of the wood we're less likely to be noticed or heard."

She nodded, understanding the logic. Arashi turned his attention back on their captive.

"Now, you," he said, "you have to answer to some questions."

As he spoke, Arashi made certain to carefully study the man's eyes. Fear and apprehension still remained, but he could see that there was some anger and hate taking up residence along with them. As the interrogation began, it seemed, the man's fear was being replaced by pride and a reluctance to betray his teammates.

In any case, he didn't answer. So Arashi began.

"Where are you teammates?" That was the most important question. If his teammates were anywhere nearby, they could possibly try to attack. If they were anywhere in the city, then Obito or Kakashi might be Doussai's only defense. He had considered heading back to the politician's office instead of interrogating, but it was more important to find out exactly what was happening. But just incase, he hoped that the two boys could handle whatever might come to them.

The Iwanin didn't answer.

"Well?" He persisted, pulling a kunai from his pouch. "Would you rather choose death or life?"

Something in the man's eyes changed. And his mouth opened.

"Not here," he croaked. "Not in the city. I was sent to scout ahead. See if there were any enemies here. Guess there were."

Arashi frowned. He wasn't sure; the man seemed to be telling the truth. But something seemed wrong. It may have been a lie. It would have been a good move on his part, giving them false information. But not only had the man betrayed himself as he spoke, he had also given in very easily. Usually it took a little more at to get someone talking, but this man had given in after the first threat. It would take a little more to be sure of whether he was being honest or not.

"What's your goal here? What are you after?" He had to be careful not to mention their own goal. He couldn't think of anything, but it could end up being useful information if the captive somehow got free and returned to his teammates.

It took a moment before the man finally answered, threatened by Arashi's unmerciful gaze.

"To kill…daimyo."

_It's possible, I suppose,_ he thought, _but what reason could they possibly have for that? Killing the daimyo of River Country… there's no gain in it for the Hidden Stone. None, unless this team was hired by someone who did. The rebellion? No… Doussai told me of the way things are with the Daimyo. He's not in charge of those affairs, Doussai himself has taken over it. If the Daimyo was killed, it would make it possible for Doussai to claim his position, even if only temporary, and that would threaten the rebellion even more. No, there's no way they have anything to do with this. If that's the case, there are only two possibilities…_

Arashi considered those two options for a moment. He could not be sure of either, but one was definitely easier to accept than the other.

_Either he's lying about their objective… Or Doussai is the one who hired them to kill the Daimyo, therefore giving him a chance to gain the political power he needs to end the rebellion._

As much as he had to consider that as a possibility, however, he could not help but wish that the latter option was not so. Doussai had _seemed_ sincere enough.

_But faces can lie, just as well mouths. If this man is telling the truth, then I'm going to have to consider Doussai himself a possible threat. I can't think of any reason for him to hire shinobi from two different villages…No, two RIVAL villages, and have good reason for it._

Be that as it may, he had no time for this. At this moment, Obito and Kakashi could be fighting for their lives, as well as the life of their employer. Or worse, over the death of their employer.

Unsure of whether that last thought was good or bad, Arashi resolved to continue his interrogation and finish it as soon as possible.

"You were sent from the Hidden Stone village, correct?"

The captive nodded.

"Is this a mission from the Tsuchikage, or do you have a different employer?"

The man's gaze faltered, but he continued to stare Arashi down. Clearly he knew that if he turned away to hide the proof in his eyes of his lies, it would be obvious to Arashi that that was what he had done.

"We have…an employer. The…the rebellion. They hired us to kill the Daimyo."

_No doubt that's a lie._ He bent down, and put on a cocky grin, holding the kunai so its edge was very close to the man's throat.

"I want the truth now," he said. "Not the first lie you could come up with."

The captive managed to keep his gaze locked with Arashi's without giving away hints of fear.

"The rebellion," he repeated. "No one else."

Arashi didn't want to waste time with this, but it seemed he had to explain to his captive just how stupid his lie was.

"The Rebellion's main political enemy is Doussai, the politician in charge of the civil war's affairs. Killing the daimyo will do anything but invoke the fear of those who stand for the government, and possibly put Doussai in a position where he is even more of a threat to them. There's no reason for them to want the Daimyo dead."

Still, the man continued to stare him down. There was no show of fear or reproach.

"The rebellion," he said again.

_Tch._

"Then why?" He asked. "Why the rebellion? Why are they doing it?"

"Purpose is not for a weapon to know. Our job as shinobi is only to do the task we are asked to fulfill, not question what meaning it has. We were not told why. Only who and when."

_Interesting. He's pretty smart. He knows that if he keeps lying, he'll eventually mess up, and I'll know. But if he refrains from having to lie, instead playing dumb, he can get away with the lies he's already fed us._

There wasn't much left to ask. Obviously, the man wasn't going to give away anything else. There was only one last thing to try.

"Rin." He said. The girl came up to him, silent.

"Give me another kunai."

She let slip a quiet gasp, but handed him the weapon nonetheless.

"What's your name?" He asked the captive.

"Shima," he replied, albeit hesitantly.

"I see. Well then, Shima. I hope you're proud of the life you've lived. You're no longer of any use to us. There's just one last thing left to do."

He held the two knives together, held a tight grip on the man's shoulder, and moved in.

Arashi saw the man gulp, probably preparing for his imminent death. Nevertheless, he placed his two kunai at the man's throat, and put on a hard cold glare.

"Goodbye."

As his muscles began to move, the man finally cracked.

"Stop!" He yelled. "I'll talk."

_Just as I thought. Every man, no matter how proud or loyal, is a coward inside._

---

**Kakashi**

They were losing.

Kakashi was swept aside by the enemy Jounin, as Obito took a kick to the stomach and was thrown back. Both stood quickly and prepared to charge again, as the man they fought simply waited, a stoic expression upon his face.

As the fight progressed, Kakashi had found himself relying more and more about the Bell Test, and everything Arashi had done, fighting them. It was clear that their teacher had been holding back a lot at that point, because this Jounin was posing much more of a problem than Arashi had ever during that test. Then again, Arashi had not been fighting to kill. And also, this man was different than the average Jounin.

In his past career as a shinobi, Kakashi had never fought a Jounin directly without at least two other teammates above his own level. He'd seen Jounin from other villages use many advanced but common techniques, things that were difficult to master but not very unique compared to some he had seen in Konoha.

This man was different.

They could only have been fighting for a few minutes, Kakashi thought, but he had already seen plenty of this man's abilities. The Hidden Stone flak jacket had turned out to actually be made of stone. At first Kakashi thought it was a possibility they were all like that, and it was a standard jutsu to be able to turn your jacket into a weapon or resource. But at this point there was no doubt it was the man's own abilities. Not only did the jacket turn to stone, but it could be molded. Without even touching it, the Jounin had removed a piece of the jacket in any shape he seemed to want, be it a knife, a spear, an arrow, or a normal pebble. All had made use in this beating thus far.

_There has to be a weakness,_ Kakashi thought. _No jutsu is perfect, there's gotta be something…_

But as far as he could see, the jutsu had no flaws. When they tried to return the stone to the Jounin with force, it seemed to merely pull itself to the jacket through some sort of magnet-like force, and mold itself back into it. If they tried to crush the stone, it simply molded back to the jacket. And when Obito had superheated it with a Gougakyuu, it had done nothing to the speeding stone bullet except make it a superheated speeding stone bullet.

_Only good thing about the fight so far is that Doussai managed to escape. If he hadn't, he'd probably be dead by now._

Returning his focus to its rightful place among the fighting, Kakashi searched for an opening to attack. Obito had charged without him, and was attempting to land a punch on the enemy, who simply had to stand and let Obito shy away from the spikes jutting out of his jacket. Obito, being intelligent for once, managed to fake a punch and attempt a sweeping kick instead, one that could not be blocked by the stone. The Jounin feigned surprise and allowed himself to fall, only to hold himself up on his other hand and grab Obito by the hair.

_Now,_ Kakashi thought, and he rushed head on, kunai in hand. He aimed a stab at the man's arm, which quickly let go of Obito and retreated. Kakashi stopped the thrust midway and backhanded the Jounin with the pointed tip of the kunai, but the man had already moved out of his range. Kakashi stood, panting and at a loss for a plan.

He only had one choice he could think of, and that was to use his father's sword, locked tight into its sheath on his back. The stone jacket was obviously full of chakra, else wise it would be normal stone. If he could somehow manage to use the sword to absorb some chakra, he could weaken the Jounin's attack and, if not beat him, force him to retreat.

The problem was, he hadn't mastered the use of that thing yet. Hatake Sakumo's White Chakra Blade was famous, but a pain to learn how to use when no knowledgeable teacher was present.

"Anything else?" The Jounin asked. "If you have no further amusement for me, I'll finish you off now."

Kakashi hated this feeling. Being a Chunin of only twelve years of age, it wasn't often that he felt inferior to anybody. However, in a situation like this, he felt only helpless and angry. The man was toying with them, and making it obvious as well. That just made it worse; he knew how to use psychology as a weapon.

The Chunin did his best to calm down, and try to think of some way to end this. They could try to drag it out, wait until Arashi finally arrived. But by then the Jounin could get bored and finish it himself, or backup could arrive and he would have no choice but to end it. They're only other choice was to try to win, somehow. That, or die fighting, and hope that Doussai was safe.

"Nothing?" The Jounin said. "Very well. I'll finish this now, then."

He held his hand out as a stone blade erupted from his jacket. Kakashi stared him down, thinking hard for some solution, a way out of this.

But he had no time left. The Jounin lunged in between the two. Obito stepped aside to avoid being hit, but Kakashi held his ground. The Jounin stopped and turned to the white-haired boy's direction, and charged forward, his blade sharp and manacing. Kakashi's kunai met it with a sharp 'ping' that filled the air, and struggled to push forward. The Jounin was stronger than him, however, and he found himself staggering backwards.

Before the enemy could do anything else, however, Obito came to his rescue (a not so relieving thought) with a small fireball, held back to keep from filling the entire room with flames. The Jounin escaped the fire, and Kakashi fell back to avoid being hit himself.

_Careless idiot_, he thought, aware that he was taking his frustration out on his annoying teammate.

The Jounin crouched, and several stone pellets shot out in their directions. Obito extinguished his flames and jumped out of the way. Kakashi did the same, but failed to do so completely. He suddenly became aware of a pain shooting up his arm and all around his leg.

"Nngh." He was panting hard, trying to avoid what the Jounin threw at them. With such small pellets, he seemed to have unlimited ammo.

_I've got to find a way,_ Kakashi thought, but as that thought was finished, he had less of hope fulfilling it.

"I'm bored," the Jounin said. "And my prey's escaped. I suppose its time to finish this up and go."

He held his arm out in Kakashi's direction. The Chunin prepared to stand against what was about to come, but the attack, a bunch of larger, _pointed_ pellets, suddenly were aimed at Obito.

The Uchiha had not been prepared, and took the hit, suddenly being pinned to the wall by every limb.

_Damn! Now I'm alone._

The Jounin echoed that thought. "I'll take you out one at a time, organized. That's always the fastest way to do things, right?"

"Tch," was Kakashi's only response.

The Jounin attacked once more. This time, Kakashi ducked to avoid an overhead slash, and jumped up to throw a punch at his opponent's abdomen. In response, the Jounin spun and caught Kakashi's arm, then proceeded to throw him across the room. Kakashi landed as best as he could, then regained his fighting stance.

"You're stubborn, I'll give you that."

Kakashi made no reply. Instead, he quickly grabbed the last of his weapons, making sure to wrap a tag onto a kunai. As he let loose the barrage of sharp objects, that same kunai he aimed in a different direction. Covered by the rest of the assault, it was near impossible to see.

The kunai landed some eight feet away from Obito. The Uchiha suddenly became panicked when he realized what was happening.

"Kakashi, you stupid bast-" he did not manage to finish his sentence before the kunai exploded.

The Jounin's attention suddenly focused on the explosion, Kakashi unsheathed the chakra blade and lunged forward in a deadly slash. The Jounin caught on slowly, and Kakashi managed to cut his cheek as he back away. Anger flashed across the enemy's face.

"You…" He growled.

Kakashi smirked through his mask, and leapt away, towards Obito who was reclaiming his balance.

"You bastard!" Yelled the Uchiha. "What the hell was that about? That HURT!"

"Yeah, and it got you free too."

"True, but still! It HURT like HELL! Have you ever had an explosion tag explode FIVE FEET AWAY FROM YOU?"

"It wasn't that close. And I don't think this is the time to argue about this, you idiot."

Obito stubbornly looked away, and towards their angry opponent.

"I've seriously had enough this time," he said. "You're done."

In an amazing display of speed, the Jounin rushed forward and knocked them both back, onto their backs. Kakashi saw him pull two stone spears from his jacket, and immediately got on his feet. Obito was up a split second later.

As the Jounin launched his spears, Kakashi leapt into the air, chakra blade in hand, and Obito, below him, spewed a fireball from his mouth.

The flames managed to stop the spears from reaching the Uchiha. Meanwhile, Kakashi slashed at the Jounin, who was attempting to parry with a stone blade.

_C'mon,_ Kakashi thought as the swords met. _WORK!"_

And somehow, he managed to force his chakra to flow correctly and absorb the chakra within his opponent's weapon. The stone sword cracked and broke apart, as Kakashi landed, and the chakra blade cut down on a straight path across the shinobi's face.

The enemy's anger seemed to worsen; Kakashi suddenly noticed a powerful amount of killing intent emitting from him, and an expression that reflected that.

In a scream of anger, the Jounin pushed away his sword hand and grabbed his shirt, using it to thrust Kakashi right at Obito. The two collided and ended up on the floor. Kakashi knew what was coming, and hurried to get up. But the Jounin was faster than before; in a second, he was behind them, two stone daggers crossing, resting at the boys' throats.

"This is it," he said. "You two are dead now. Say goodbye."

Kakashi closed his eyes, feeling terror wash over him for the first time in a while. He had been truly sure he was about to die, until he heard the Jounin scream in agony.

Kakashi opened his eyes and found that the dagger was no longer at his throat. The Jounin was on the ground, one arm flailing, the other clenched tight in a fist. He saw a kunai sticking out of the man's arm, most likely having hit a nerve.

In front of him stood Arashi, dead serious and grim-faced, yet to Kakashi, he looked only like a savior.

---

**Arashi**

No one had been killed. That was enough to relieve him.

Arashi sat in a chair in Doussai's large meeting room. At his side were his students. Rin was at work healing Kakashi and Obito's wounds. In front of him was Doussai himself, a grim expression on his face.

"As I was saying, Doussai-san," he said, "the assassination had been meant to kill you, and steal something of importance."

"I'm perfectly aware that the assassination was meant for _me_," said the politician, "but what was being stolen? Was the theft successful?"

"I've no idea. If it was, it was carried out perfectly, because no one noticed anything happen, and no one has noticed anything is gone so far."

"And was the rebellion behind it?"

"It was."

Arashi did not include that the rebellion had not even expected Doussai to die. Instead, he recalled the interrogation of the scout after the man had cracked and decided to talk.

_The man, Shima, sat with a shameful expression, tied to the tree._

"_So your mission was?" Arashi asked._

"_Like I said before: scout the area. Not from the outside, from the inside. My teammates are inside the city."_

"_And what's your objective here?"_

"_Nagenai-san said we were to eliminate the daimyo and politician in charge of the rebellion's affairs. But that isn't the main objective."  
_

"_Not the main objective…? Expliain."_

"_The assassination is a distraction. We're supposed to get something. Get something important from inside the city."_

"_Get what?"_

"_I don't know."_

"_Do you really?"_

"_Not specifically. I think it's some sort of key to the city gates, or something else that can be used to get inside."_

"_What need do you have for it? If you're teammates are inside the city, you obviously don't need some way to get in."_

"_Not for us. Our employers want it. So they can get in others."_

_Arashi was somewhat confused. What could they want to get others into the city for, except…_

"_To storm the city? They want to take it over?"_

"_Probably."_

"_And the assassinations. Are they supposed to be carried out now?"_

"_Yes."_

"_Dammit. Rin," he said. "Get ready to go. Obito and Kakashi are probably in trouble." Arashi stood, and prepared to leave._

"_Wait!" the man said. _

"_What? Is there something else?"_

"_Yes. The assassinations…our employers aren't expecting them to succeed. Or, at least, they don't care whether they do or don't. They care more about getting this key or whatever it is. If the assassinations succeed, it's only an added bonus, but otherwise, it doesn't seem to make a difference to them."_

"_I see." He said. "You said your name is Shima, correct?"_

_He nodded._

"_Then you will be coming with us."_

Unfortunately, it had not been so. The moment Arashi turned away, Shima had tried to escape. When Arashi stopped him, the man revealed a hidden kunai and stabbed himself. He was dead now.

Still, the scout's story and the boys' story did not match. According to Kakashi and Obito, they had fought a Jounin. Kakashi did not doubt they were telling the truth. However, Shima had said that the rebellion didn't care if the assassinations were successful. If so, why send a Jounin to do it?

More importantly, however, was the fact that the Daimyo's life had not been threatened. Nothing wrong had been noticed or seen in his home, and he had not been disturbed all day.

_Was he lying? It seemed that he was telling the truth. It's possible that the assassin going after the daimyo had back out, or had some reason to stop the attack. I have no way of knowing, though, and now that Shima is dead. I can't do any more interrogation._

"Well," said Doussai. "If that's all you know, then I believe I will retire for the day. I'm quite tired."

"Should I-"

"I have no need for guards tonight. I doubt another assassin will come. You will be right below me, however, and I will have my own guards. No need to bother yourself with it."

"Very well. Good night, Doussai-san."

"And to you as well."

Doussai left the room. Arashi almost returned to his thoughts when he was interrupted once more.

"Ah! That's much better! Thanks, Rin!"

"No problem."

Obito stood, stretching, all patched up and healed as best as Rin could manage. Kakashi as well, from the looks of it.

"You're done, then?" Arashi asked them.

"Yeah," said Rin. "They should be fine in a few days time. They weren't hurt too badly."

"Good. Then the three of you should head to bed."

"What about you, sensei?" Asked Obito.

"I have some thinking to do."

The Uchiha boy shrugged, and the three of them filed out of the room with no complaint or question. Arashi returned to his thoughts.

_The rebellion wanted something, probably to get into the city with, or so Shima said. If he can be believed. But from what I know now, I can't be sure if anything he said is true. Still if it is…_

He continued to ramble on in his head, trying to think of alternative motives. Every idea he had was less likely than the last, until at last, he came upon one possibility.

_River Country doesn't work with shinobi too often. If Doussai were to think of all shinobi the same way… Could they be trying to make us lose his trust? It's a possibility, and a sensible one as well. It could very well be what they're aiming for…_

Still, no matter what conclusion he came to, he could think of nothing. The whole affair was far too confusing to be normal.

_For now, I'll just have to keep my eye on Doussai, incase he mistrusts us, or is playing a role in this I do not know of. I have to figure out what's going on, though. This mission has already elevated to at least B rank if not A. If I don't figure this out…even _my_ life is in danger._

---

**The Mastermind**

"They're dead?" Said Jisui, a strange look on his face.

"Yes," Nagenai answered. "Shima and Hiyako both. They were killed by the Yellow Flash."

The boy was young, only about 15 or so, but still a Chunin, and Nagenai had found him to be essential for this mission.

"What now, then?" He asked.

"We complete the plan."

He didn't seem to understand.

"I knew they would die. I had planned it. Even now, everything is going according to plan. Shima got caught, as I had planned. He told Kazama a fake story to throw him off and confuse him, as I planned. Hiyako failed to kill Doussai-sama and died, as I planned."

"Doussai…_sama_?"

"Yes. He and I, we are the mastermind's behind this all. With our help, he will rise to the top of River Country, get rid of the rebellion, and claim it all for himself. With his help, stone village will gain a great deal of money, enough to start the war we want, and you, Jisui, you and I will go down in history for capturing the Yellow Flash."

The boy's expression brightened at that last thought.

_Yes… It's all perfect. Kazama, delve into this whole thing if you must. Search for motives. Search for clues. You'll find nothing but fake answers. And in the end, that will be your downfall. It will be known that you failed not only in combat, but in the Game of Wits, at my hand! I, Nagenai Kotsure, the legend of Iwagakure!_

* * *

**Wow, took me a while to force myself to do this. But once I did, it somehow became easier to write. I'm not sure, but I think it may be that I had been planning on this chapter being shorter. If this theory is right, then expect the rest of the chapters to be about this length.**

** Also, I've recently come up with an idea for another story, but I promised myself I won't start it until this one is finished. Seeing as I'm still excited about my new idea, I'm going to be wanting to get this one done as soon as possible while I work on plotting out the other. So hopefully that means more chapters faster. Pray for it.**

** By the way, I'm typing this as I sit starving and tired at 1 AM, in the middle of fasting for Yom Kippur. So be a good person, and thank me by reviewing. A lot.  
**


	9. Mind Games

...Long time no see, huh? ;

Well, I guess I took a very very very very very very very very very very long break. Certainly a lot of changes to my lifestyle between that time.

...Miss me?

I guess I don't really deserve to have been missed. But, I hope (not promise! I can't seem to do that very well...) to make it up to you by updating with this plus two more chapters this week. I've been in a writing rage lately, between this story and my new one, Shinigami no Nara.

Anyway, this chapter's a bit shorter than before and not as action-y, but it's the end of the wait. After this point, the story, or at least, this arc, take a more eventful path. And by that I mean that starting with the very next chapter, the story's gonna get a lot more interesting.

Plenty of Rin and some Arashi here too. Enjoy!

* * *

Loser Uchiha

**Chapter VIII**

_Mind Games_

* * *

**Arashi**

_Mind games_, he thought. _I'm being forced to fight through mind games._

Kazama Arashi sealed his letter, placed it in an envelope, and handed it to Rin, along with the book she had asked for.

"What's this for?" She asked.

"Jounin aren't supposed to be enemies on a C-ranked mission. The fact that Obito and Kakashi fought one means that this mission just became at least B-rank if not A. This letter is to the Hokage, to notify him of our situation and perhaps send backup if possible."

"PERHAPS send backup? There could be others! I know you're a Jounin, too, sensei, but if there are other Jounin working against us, we definitely need backup! The only reason we wouldn't be able to get any backup is if something is going on!"

_She caught on,_ he observed.

Instead of answering, Arashi eyed Kakashi, who was standing by the door, silent but watching. The Chunin caught his gaze and submitted to Arashi's will.

"There's been a lot of activity on our borders recently," he answered. "Hokage-sama and the rest of the council fear the possibilities of a war, so they're trying to increase surveillance. It may be that there is no backup to be sent."

"But…this is dangerous! Doesn't it bother you at all?" She yelled at her teammate.

"No. It's our job as shinobi to keep fighting until we die, or a sharper weapon replaces us."

Arashi noticed her grow stiff when Kakashi echoed Shima's reference to shinobi as weapons.

"There's no way we can get out of it? We can't go back to Konoha and wait for another team to replace us?"

"We cannot. If we don't stay, Doussai will surely die. His guards can do nothing, even to a Genin."

_No, but he may yet be safer without us around._

Arashi had not yet ruled out the possibility of Doussai's betrayal. _Can't say the same for the rest of the country though._

"And what if _we_ die?" Rin yelled at Kakashi. "What would be the purpose of it all?"

"What other purpose do we need? Shinobi die on missions. That's something you should be very well aware of. We're not samurai; we finish our jobs, regardless of the difficulty. Or else, like you said, we die in vain."

To that, Rin had no answer.

_She's still adjusting to the shinobi life,_ Arashi thought to himself.

Many children living in shinobi villages grew up thinking of shinobi as great, heroic warriors, when, in truth, they were supposed to be emotionless weapons that fought for those who paid them. Still, the "emotionless" part was not so true in Konoha. Kakashi himself had abandoned more of it than most Konoha shinobi.

"That doesn't matter right now," said Arashi, interrupting them. "For the time being, we need to remain cautious until we know what we're going to do."

Kakashi's eye flashed in his direction and quickly hid its curiosity. _Good_, he thought. The Chunin had noticed Arashi's hidden meaning. Rin, on the other hand, had not.

"Kakashi," he said, "when is Obito's shift over?"

"In about fifteen minutes," replied Kakashi.

He turned to Rin. "It's your turn next. I'd suggest you head over to replace him, he's probably falling asleep at this point."

"Right," she said. Something in her voice told him she was aware he was trying to get rid of her. Nevertheless, she left.

Kakashi turned to him.

"Don't they give any emotion training at the academy anymore?"

"No. The council decided it was unimportant to a young shinobi's training, so they removed it a few years ago. Still, that's not to say that the academy doesn't emphasize certain parts of a shinobi's life and duty enough."

Kakashi nodded. "But more importantly," he said, "what is it that you're not telling us about?"

"I have some concerns to take note of. I was wondering if you noticed anything by yourself?"

"Only one thing. Doussai doesn't seem to be trusting us too much anymore, does he?"

"Yes. That's a part of it."

"Then I'm not aware of what's going on, it seems."

"I doubted you did," he said. "Well, I'll explain what I can. You know the scout that Rin and I caught?"

Kakashi nodded.

"According to him, the rebellion tried to assassinate both Doussai and the Daimyo."

"But the Daimyo wasn't threatened."

"Precisely. It's possible that the other assassin backed out for some reason, but I find that unlikely."

"How so? I'd heard that Stone shinobi are ordered to flee upon sight of you. Maybe when they realized you were here they back out."

"But that makes no sense. If two assassins had struck, I would only have been able to fight off one at a time. Doussai was our employer, so I would definitely go to him first. Furthermore, Doussai has shinobi guarding him, while the Daimyo has only soldiers. If anyone should have backed out it would have been the one that attacked Doussai."

"That makes sense, I guess."

"Yes. With that conclusion, I doubt it's true that the Daimyo was targeted at all. That means that the scout had lied. If he lied about one thing, who's to say he didn't lie about something else?"

"So what does that mean?"

"The scout also told us that his teammates were in the city and that he was scouting the outside of it."

So he was lying about that too?"

"I don't think so. After the assassination attempt, I couldn't help but feel that something about that was wrong. When I decided the scout must have been lying about the Daimyo, my suspicions became worse. I continued to think on it, and now I think I've finally figured it out."

"Figured out…what, exactly? What the scout was lying about?"

"More than that."

"The rebellion's motives?"

"Possibly. I don't know if it's the rebellion or not, but someone must have planned this all out. All of it."

"All? You mean whoever is in charge of this expected the assassination to fail?"

"That we already knew. The scout had said the rebellion wanted some way to get into the city and the assassinations were simply a distraction. But since the scout lied about other things already…"

"He may have lied about this too?"

"That's what I think. Now, take it all into consideration. He lied about the Daimyo, that's false information. He also told us the assassination was a distraction, which could just be extra information to confuse us with. Because we know the scout lied, we have no idea what, out of everything he told us, is true and what is not true. What does that mean?"

Kakashi's expression clearly said that he did not understand, and that Arashi should continue.

"Mind games," he said. I'm being forced to fight through mind games."

--

**Rin**

When she arrived at Doussai's office, the first thing she saw was Obito's face instantly light up at the thought of escape. She knew he wanted nothing more than to leave and go find his new friend. Personally, Rin thought he needed to be a little more serious on this mission, especially now that they were in real danger.

"Your shift's over," she said.

"Cool," Obito replied, and hurriedly left the office. Rin watched him go, and turned back to Doussai.

"Good afternoon, Doussai-sama," she said.

"And to you," replied the politician, busy at work with papers.

Not seeing a reason to stand around for five hours, Rin easily found a seat and made herself comfortable. Most likely, nothing would happen, as it had been rather quiet and peaceful for the last two days since the attack. Arashi-sensei himself was not worried about another attack.

She pulled out of her pouch what she had asked Arashi to borrow before he handed her the letter. It was a small book, square and thick, colored in the style of a fire.

_Arashi-sensei's bingo book…_

She carefully opened the book. Strangely enough, there was some sort of introduction on the first page.

_Within these pages are Konoha's targets and victims,_ she read to herself. _Criminals unpunished, spies not silenced, and enemies unconquered. Approach these with caution and do not underestimate, for they will kill with no hesitation. Missing-nin are to be captured, not killed, whilst enemies are to be disposed of immediately._

Deciding to skip the rest of the intro, Rin moved on to the next page to find the first person in the book.

"Amachi Souzo…" she murmured… No recollection.

_It's in alphabetical order?_

Strange, she thought, that a book with a list of people to kill would be organized in any way. But she supposed it helped.

Assuming it was listed by surname, she skipped ahead to the N section. She casually flipped through it, searching, but did not come up with anything close to what she had been looking for.

_Maybe it's by first name…_

For the next half hour, Rin flipped through the pages of the Bingo Book, looking for the name she sought. At last she was moving through the K's, getting bored.

_Kanada, Kaori, Kashio, Kasumi, Komugi, Kotsure…_

She stopped.

_There it is!_

"Kotsure Nagenai."

That was it, she was sure. The name she had heard the scout, Shima, say.

"_Nagenai-san said we were to eliminate the daimyo and politician in charge of the rebellion's affairs."_

Nagenai-san.

Nagenai Kotsure?

To make sure, Rin looked through his biography.

_Allegiance…allegiance… Iwagakure! Yes!_

Shima had bourn a Stone village headband, so no doubt his teammates were of the same village. The fact that Nagenai Kotsure's allegiance was with Stone confirmed that it must have been the same man Shima had spoken of.

_Now, let's see…_

She skimmed the page. There was no information on his abilities; the book only stated that he was a dangerous adversary who had caused trouble for Konoha during a border skirmish at one time. According to the book, Nagenai Kotsure was a Rank A enemy, with powerful ninjutsu and tactical skills. It claimed he had an above average intelligence level.

_So he's smart. Smarter than most shinobi._

Part of her wished she could see another village's Bingo Book and to try to find Arashi-sensei, if she could. She would have liked to know what other villages thought of him.

She quickly pulled out a sheet of paper and a pencil, and jotted down as much information as she could about Nagenai Kotsure. If he was their enemy, it would help to know as much as she could about him.

After all, if they had no choice, as Kakashi said, but to remain and protect Doussai until death, then she was not going to do so unprepared. As Kiso-sensei had taught them, preparedness and knowledge can often bring an unlikely victory. They're odds weren't good, from the looks of it, but knowing exactly what they were up against was definitely going to be an asset.

In the end, if it came down to a fight where they had to risk death, she would at least be prepared, and fight as well as she could.

After she finished, she decided to try and find the other man, who had attacked Doussai and fought with Kakashi and Obito. She did not know his name, but she did, at least, know his face. Well enough, she hoped, to find him.

It took her what she assumed was an hour to look through every picture until she found him.

Yakizate Hiyako.

Like Nagenai, he was ranked as an A level enemy. Unlike him, however, there was a small description of his abilities.

"Unique ninjutsu; chakra-infused stone."

It wasn't much, but it checked in with Obito and Kakashi's story. Rin X'd out Hiyako's page, then closed the book, satisfied with what she had found. Originally, she had not been too hopeful of finding either of them in there. When she saw how thick the book was, however, she reconsidered the possibility. Still, finding both shinobi in it was more than she had hoped for.

With nothing left to do, she put the book away and pulled out the letter Arashi had given her. He had not asked her to read it, and therefore she assumed she was not welcome to. Her job was simply to have it mailed when she got the chance. But Arashi had never said _not_ to read it…

Slowly, she opened the envelope with a kunai and pulled out the letter. It was written with a rough handwriting, rushed most likely. Rin quickly began read it.

_Hokage-sama,_

_I know of the border trouble we have been having lately. However, I must ask for reinforcements. My Genin team and I departed on a mission to protect a politician of the River Country. His enemies were specified to be a rebellion capable of hiring samurai at best._

_However, three weeks after arriving, an assassination attempt was made. Unexpectedly, it was a Jonin of Iwagakure, supposedly hired by the rebellion. Two of my students fought him and were nearly killed; I arrived barely in time to save them. Our employer survived, but I cannot say for the next attempt that is made, should one occur._

_Right before the assassination attempt, my other student and I captured a scout. Another shinobi of Iwa, most likely a Chunin. We attempted to interrogate him, and he gave us information critical to the situation in River Country. Unfortunately, it would not make sense to you unless I were to explain everything going on here, and I fear I do not have the time for that. I have, however, found lies in his information, and no longer know what to believe out of everything he said._

_Where I currently stand, I believe that some plotter is behind all of this, and is somehow attempting to toy with me through mind games. Whoever it is may make another move soon, and I do not know how dangerous it will be. I also have reason to distrust my employer and wonder at what side he is currently on. He seems to have lost trust in us, though he continues to allow us to guard him and is still willing to pay his fee._

_As you can see, I am yet unsure of what exactly is going on at the moment. Backup would be immensely helpful, if it is possible. In my opinion, I would rank this mission as an A now, as opposed to the original C rank._

_Kazama Arashi_

Rin held the letter in her lap for a moment before deciding what she would do. Now that she knew their enemy…no doubt, Arashi-sensei would not have a problem with it if she added the name of their enemy.

Quickly, she grabbed her pencil and scribbled, 'P.S.: Nagenai Kotsure was mentioned. Yakizate Hiyako was the failed assassin'. Afterward, she folded the letter, put it in the envelope, resealed it, and returned it to her bag.

There was certainly more information in that letter than Arashi had trusted her with. She assumed that that must have been was what he told Kakashi after she left.

_Reason to distrust our employer…_

Did he mean that he didn't trust Doussai? Was Arashi suspicious that Doussai somehow had something to do with his own assassination…?

She watched the politician working at his desk, wondering how he could possibly have had a connection to all this, aside from being a target and a potential victim. She certainly wanted to know what purpose he may have had in staging his own assassination.

After all, it was supposed to have ended in Obito and Kakashi's deaths.

_Wait…if he _was _behind it…then he meant for them to…die? That…can't be…_

She eyed the politician suspiciously.

Having seemingly noticed her, Doussai glanced up. Rin immediately returned to an indifferent expression and began studying one of her kunai.

Obviously, he knew that she had been looking at her.

"Need something?" He asked. Politely and nicely, she observed. How could he be plotting against them?

"Ah…no, I'm alright, thank you."

Doussai nodded and returned to his work.

"Although, there _is_ something I've been wondering lately…" She said.

This had been nagging at her for a while now.

"Ask away, then," he said.

"When we were on our way here from Konoha…our guide, your brother…he told us how the rebellion was started."

"Well, what about it?"

"It's just that…from the point of view of his story…I couldn't help but think that the rebellion is in the right. I mean, it's not that I support it or anything. It's just that…to hear the story told that way from someone who apparently doesn't support it…it's a little strange."

"Ah. Well, I can tell you now, Errai has always been somewhat liberal. He has never much liked the Daimyo. It is true, our good Daimyo has made some mistakes in the past. However, I believe that it is important that we retain the royal bloodline of the River Country, and therefore I support the Daimyo wholeheartedly. I do, however, hope that his son will do a better job…"

"I…I see. Although… Errai also said that you support the rebellion's motives, but you don't expect them to be able to be able to run the country if they took over. He said they were just farmers and peasants."

"Indeed. What of it?"

"He told us that during your problems with the…bandits, the government was unable to pay for a shinobi team to fight the bandits instead of using the military. Yet, although the rebellion is supposed to be made up of the lowest classes, _they_ were able to pay for a team consisting of a Jounin, a Chunin, and whatever else they have…"

Doussai nodded.

"We've been wondering about that as well. We have no idea where the rebellion came up with the money to hire those assassins. In fact," he pulled up a packet of paper, "this report here is about exactly that question. Apparently there are no traces of money being pooled or borrowed, or even spent. Intelligence says that no one has gone to or come in from Iwagakure in the past six months."

"I see."

"Does that answer your questions?"

"Yes, I think so. Thank you."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, I still have a great deal of work left here."

For the rest of her shift, Rin remained silent, pondering.

--

It was evening now. Actually, later than evening. It was the dead of night. Rin assumed it was probably about two in the morning.

As it was, Doussai was just now retiring to his bed. It had taken him all day long to complete that paperwork, from the looks of it.

When her shift had ended, Kakashi had been her replacement, and had remained as Doussai's guard for the rest of the politician's waking hours. Of course, that had meant nearly ten hours of guard duty, but the Chunin seemed unfazed by it. He was used to it, she assumed.

Rin and Obito had stayed up late discussing the situation with Arashi, strategizing and improving their guarding plans. Now that three full days had passed since the attack, Arashi was on the alert for a second assassination attempt, and their patterns had to start changing to adapt to the situation.

When they heard that Doussai was getting ready to retire for the night, Arashi had told Obito to go get Kakashi and tell him to report to him. He had dismissed Rin and told her that she should go to bed.

Accepting his suggestion, or at least pretending to, Rin followed Obito into the hallway. When the door was shut, she grabbed his shoulder.

"Obito, I need your help."

"Huh? With what?"

"Look. You…you can't let Arashi-sensei or Kakashi know about this. I need your help getting into Doussai's office once he's gone to bed."

"…Why?" He asked, suspicious.

"Look, I'll tell you later. But it's important, and I've got to do it. Just help me, will you?"

"I…don't really get what's going on but…alright. As long as it's not dangerous. I don't think doing anything without Arashi-sensei knowing about it is a good idea…"

"It's alright, I thought this through."

"Fine. Then what's your plan?"

"Alright, listen…"

Obito couldn't help but chuckle at her as she explained how she meant to get into the office. A few minutes later, he was walking down the hallway towards Doussai's office alone.

He knocked on the door and entered. Doussai was scrambling through some papers, putting them away. Kakashi was by the door, waiting. Speaking of which, the chunin quickly turned an eye as Obito walked in.

"Kakashi. Arashi-sensei wants to see you, now that your shift is over."

Kakashi nodded and walked out, but stopped when he realized Obito wasn't following him.

Obito walked up to the politician, who had just finished clearing his desk.

"Oh, Doussai-sama…"

"Yes?"

He held up a pencil.

"Rin said she borrowed this and never gave it back. She said she found it here while she was guarding you and used it, but accidentally took it with her…?"

Doussai shrugged his shoulders and took the pencil, placing it on his desk. He thanked Obito and the two of them left the room.

"What was that about?" Kakashi said through the door.

"Nothing much, just a stolen pencil," Obito answered.

When the voices could no longer be heard, Rin dropped the Henge and replaced the pencil on Doussai's desk.

She smirked; her plan had worked, and now she was alone in Doussai's office, free to search.

She got off the desk and began opening cabinets and drawers, flipping through files.

_Let's see… He said that there were no traces at all of the rebellion spending money or sending anyone to Iwagakure… If Arashi-sensei is right, and Doussai is working against us, then he's most likely with the rebellion. If that's true, then, logically, he must have been the one to pay and send for the assassins._

Strange as that last thought was, Rin knew that that meant there would be records of Doussai spending money. She hoped it would be here somewhere.

After all, assassinations weren't cheap, _especially_ if the target was a Daimyo of all people. Or, at least, was _supposed_ to be a Daimyo.

She leafed through records and files and reports until she finally found a folder labeled "finances".

She opened it, hopeful, and began looking through all the records within. There were graphs, reports, sums, and other such files within. Rin checked the graphs for declines in money, and skimmed through the reports but found nothing.

Until, of course, she found a banking report. It was a record of Doussai's money usage.

She quickly skimmed through the paper, looking for numbers. At the bottom of the page was a date, about a month and a half ago, of Doussai taking a rather large amount of money out of his own personal bank.

_Hm…It probably would have taken about a month between when Doussai requested guards from Konoha and when we arrived here… The request had to be filed, the mission had to be ranked, and the Hokage had to choose a suitable team to take care of it. Altogether about one month. And we've been here for three weeks already…_

This was probably it. If there was any evidence to a connection between Doussai, the rebellion, and the assassins, it was this. There was no way the rebellion, as far as Rin was aware, could have financed the assassination. But with Doussai's help, they could have… He seemed to support them enough. He just thought that they couldn't run the country themselves. But if that were the only setback, all they would need is a friend high up in the government. A friend like Doussai.

_But his belief in the royal lineage…_

No. No matter how she saw it, Rin could not imagine someone like Doussai actually thinking that the Daimyo was a better ruler than someone like, say…himself…

_Is that it? Could that be what this is all about?_

Did Doussai…want to take over the River Country?

If that was so, what was the point hiring of them…?

Rin did not understand everything, but at least she had what she came for. She quickly returned everything to its place, making sure to remember exactly where it was. Then she left, and went to bed, as Arashi had suggested she'd do.

She had plenty to tell him. But doing so would mean revealing that she had read his letter without permission, and she did not much like the idea of telling him about that.

She would tell him later.

--

**Arashi**

"So…do you understand the situation?" He asked.

Rin and Obito nodded, while Kakashi pretended to.

He had just finished explaining to them the current situation he was in. Mind games such as these were clearly a challenge by a potent adversary, and Arashi felt that they should know what he was dealing with.

"So what're we gonna do about it?" Obito asked.

"Well…I've thought about it, and spoken with Doussai, as well. Right now, I have no idea what information that I have is real and what is false. Our enemy is toying with us, and as long as we stay under that grip they'll have an easy time getting around us. So you tell me: when you're stuck somewhere, what is it that you want to do?"

They all were silent, thinking about it.

"You…want to…get somewhere else?" Rin said, unsure.

"Well," he said, "I don't think 'get' is the right word here. Perhaps 'go' is."

"Go somewhere else?" Obito said.

"We're moving Doussai to a different location. Is that what you're saying?" Asked Kakashi.

"Yes. If we move to a different city, even temporarily, our enemy will have to change their plans to deal with that. Either they'll spend their time replanning, which will hopefully give us time until backup arrives from Konoha, or they'll try and stop us while we're on our way to our new location, in which case they'll have to confront us out in the open."

They said nothing.

"It's a gambit, I know. But I spoke with Doussai, and he agrees that it is the best option we have. Tomorrow morning we depart for the city of Yougeki, up north. Make sure you're all ready by then."

With that, he stood and faced the window of his room.

_Mind games…they often have a simple solution, but they never end._

He wondered what his enemy's next move would be.

* * *

Author's Note:

Well. First update in 10 months. Hope it goes well. I'm expecting to have two more done by the end of the week. And to show that I'm truly trying to make it up to you...

It's my birthday week and I won't stop writing. Don't you feel loved?

Anyway, I'm hoping this story will see a lot of updating in the coming time. I want to get it done, actually, but it's a long way off from there, so I'll do my best. If you're bored, check out my other story, too. Shinigami no Nara. It's a crossover between Naruto and Death Note.

Other than that, well... Leave a review pl0x.

**Next Chapter:** All Aboard: Clash in the Great River!


	10. All Aboard: Clash in the Great River!

Well, only took me a week, but I got this chapter done. Hopefully it's a lot more enjoyable than the last one. It's twice as long and has lots of action and fighting and actually moves the plot of this first arc along. A lot.

Not much to say. Enjoy the longest chapter (by page) of Loser Uchiha yet!

* * *

Loser Uchiha

**Chapter IX**

_All Aboard: Clash in the Great River!_

* * *

**OBITO**

The Great River was rather wide, thought Obito.

"Two hundred meters wide, in fact," Errai was saying. Their former guide had been invited to tag along, being Doussai's brother, on their way to the politician's temporary home.

The river was a glistening blue, mirroring the great open sky above it. They had set sail not two hours ago, aboard the _The Riverman_. Errai had just finished explaining to Obito and Rin about the history of the ship. Apparently it was a famous flagship from during the civil war that formed what was now the River Country. Obito wasn't sure whether to be impressed or worried that they were sailing aboard a more than fifty-year-old ship.

Nevertheless, the vessel seemed quite safe. Powerful, in fact. It was a galleon, great and powerful, a kind that was no longer constructed in these days. In fact, Obito had been surprised to hear that the biggest ship in the River capital's harbor was to be the vessel for their trip. He had expected something quite smaller. Still, he was happy to have gotten the chance for a close up with the _Riverman._ It was huge, with an equally large mast and blue and white sails, with the emblem of the River Country painted on to them. The crow's nest, Obito was sure, must have been at least one hundred feet above them. Below deck were thirty cannons, although no cannoneers seemed to have been enlisted for the voyage. No doubt, they weren't expecting any attackers, but if anyone did attack, cannons would most likely be useless against them.

They had set sail early in the morning. It was now only eleven. And according to the captain, they would arrive at their destination the next morning, or late at night depending on the winds.

Speaking of whom, Captain Kisoto Shiranui was a strange figure. Obito had immediately spotted him upon boarding, as the captain stood out quite a bit. He wore a dark overcoat and a large hat that covered a majority of his head, which was bald, Obito assumed. He couldn't think of any other reason to hide almost his entire head. Anyway, Captain Kisoto had greeted them almost as soon as they had arrived, revealing a deep voice and an intricate personality that Obito was not likely to forget.

The rest of the crew, as far as he had been able to tell, was easy to get along with. He had trouble understanding some of the sailor lingo that many of them used, although most of it seemed to be orders regarding something on the ship that Obito did not know the name for.

"The river flows across practically the entire continent, actually," Errai said, snapping Obito back to reality. "Almost every country depends on it in some way. Some for water, some for food, others for transport. But its most heavily based here, in the river country. It runs in from the ocean in the south, where it splits off in many directions, heading basically to every country in the world. It all starts here, though… and the splitting of the river provides for great transportation to every corner of the River Country."

Obito hadn't really been paying too much attention to Errai, instead watching the water as the ship sailed through it.

"You know," said Arashi, showing up behind them, "this same river flows to the waterfall at the Valley of the End." He said.

Obito took in that bit of information. He knew of the Valley of the End…that was where his ancestor, Uchiha Madara, had fought the Shodai Hokage. They had created the waterfall there in their battle, breaking the dam that kept out the water of the Great River. It had flooded the area at first, but eventually, with some help artificial aid, it had become a river once more, albeit a much smaller one. After the Valley of the End was no longer filled with water, the statues of the two legendary men who had fought there were built into the mountain, surrounding either side of the waterfall.

"Really? It goes that far?" He asked.

"That…that's what I just said," replied Errai.

"Oh…hehe, sorry."

"I-it's alright," said Errai, realizing Obito had probably stopped paying attention to him long ago.

"Anyway," said Arashi. "I just got finished talking to the captain. The winds should move us at a fast enough pace that we'll arrive there tomorrow morning. _Early_ tomorrow morning, he said. I suppose that means we'll be arriving sometime around 4AM."

_Argh_, Obito thought to himself, _that means I'm gonna have to wake up that early._

He thought once more of their destination. They were headed for Yougeki, north of the capital. There, Doussai would hopefully be safe from assassinations and would be able to continue his work against the civil war in peace.

At least, that's what they had told the Daimyo.

Obito thought back to Arashi's explanation of their decision.

"_What're we gonna do if we're attacked while we're on our way?" Kakashi had asked. "I doubt it's going to be a safe journey. If we travel in a big group, then we're just a moving target, ready to get hit by a large rebel force. They'll always have the excuse that when an enemy target is moving around in the broad, they have no choice but to attempt to capture him. But if we travel in a smaller group, say, us and Doussai, we're definitely going to be attacked by enemy shinobi again. And we don't know what level our opponents will be."_

"_Right as always, Kakashi," Arashi said, sighing. "We've arranged for a ship to sail us through the Great River to Yougeki, as it is probably the fastest mode of transportation we can get. They'll be no need for too many bodyguards, as the ship's crew will be capable of helping us to protect Doussai. However, in the event of an attack, _their_ job is going to be to protect the ship, and _our _job will be to protect our employer. Don't make the mistake of thinking that the crew will do it for us."_

"_The reason for all of that is that to attack a ship, the enemy will need ships of their own. The Great River is quite large so there's no way they'll be able to attack us from land. To capture Doussai, they would have to invade our own vessel. A ship is small enough that the four of us should be able to protect it from attackers easily. Not only that, but it's difficult to board an enemy ship, especially since it's nearly impossible not to be noticed. We'll be able to see any vessel before they are able to attack, and hopefully do away with them before they manage to do so. If they _are_ able to board our ship, then we should be able to defeat them with relative ease. If the enemy turns out to be shinobi, then we should still be able to fight them while the rest of the crew continues to keep the ship going."_

"_I get it," said Rin. "At least this way there won't be any surprises. The worst we can expect is an attack during the night, since it would be harder to spot enemies then."_

_Arashi nodded approvingly._

"_Any further questions?" He said._

"_Just one." said Obito. "What do we do if we _can't_ defeat the enemy?_

"_Standard regulation," answered Kakashi, "protect Doussai at all costs."_

"_Kakashi is right. Our overall goal is to ensure Doussai's safety. If there's no hope…"_

"_Abandon ship," Kakashi finished for him._

Obito himself was unsure of the plan, but if Arashi-sensei had come up with it and approved of it, then it was fine by him. He looked up at the crow's nest, where Kakashi was currently looking out for any potential dangers. There was no way they were leaving that position to a sailor who could be mistaken about what they saw.

Obviously, they were taking no chances here.

"Errai-san," Obito said, looking at their former guide, "what's Yougeki like?"

"Hm…well," said the politician's brother, "Yougeki is an industrial city, but its not too close to the river itself. We're going to have to travel a good few miles on land before we arrive. Just what makes it so much safer than the capital, though… I can't say for sure. I suppose it's just harder to get in there. More people enter the capital everyday than any other city in the country."

Obito knew very well that Yougeki was no safer than the River capital. The only thing that helped them was that the enemy would be forced to redraw their plans, and therefore buy time for the shinobi to gather information or receive reinforcements.

Of course, there was always the chance that their move would draw out the enemy, into the open. That was what Arashi was hoping for, at least. Obito personally did not wish for that to happen; they had fought one Jounin and one shinobi of an unknown rank so far, which meant that the others were at least on the same level if not stronger.

Bored and somewhat distressed, Obito later voiced that thought to Rin.

She had a distant, somewhat worried look on her face before she answered.

"Listen, Obito…" she said quietly, looking around. Was she checking to see if anyone was listening? "When Arashi-sensei and I caught that scout…and we interrogated him…there was something he said that I don't know if sensei caught on to."

"What was it?" Obito said, suddenly interested. He glanced at Arashi, up by at the helm, talking to Captain Kisoto.

"It was a name…probably the name of one of the scout's teammates…at least, going by the way he mentioned it, I'm assuming it is. He said that 'Nagenai' had said their mission goal was to eliminate the Daimyo and Doussai."

"Uh huh…"

"That probably means that 'Nagenai' was the mission leader… Anyway, I borrowed Arashi-sensei's Bingo Book and looked him up."

"D-did you find him?!"

"Yeah, I did. But there was almost no information on him… All it said was that he's really smart and that he caused trouble for Konoha in a border skirmish. He's an A-rank enemy from the Hidden Stone village."

Obito waited for anything more she had to say, but Rin did not continue.

"So he's dangerous…and that's definitely the name you heard?"

"Yes, I'm positive. I also looked up the guy that fought you and Kakashi. I didn't have a name, but I'm pretty sure I recognized his face. His name was Yakizate Hiyako. The bio said to beware chakra-infused stone."

"…Yeah, that's definitely him." Obito said, sounding sure of himself. Chakra infused stone. It must have been referring to the bastard's stone jacket.

"Anyway, Arashi-sensei was pretty sure that the scout was a Chunin…he had a flak jacket, but he was young and let his guard down easily."

"So two jounin and one chunin. Although one of the jounin and the chunin are dead… Which means that we definitely still have a Jounin to fight plus someone else."

"And we have no way of knowing if the last enemy is a chunin or a jounin."

"Well…we have a chunin and a jounin, plus the two of us," Obito said. "If it comes down to a fight between us…we should be able to handle it, right? Arashi-sensei will fight the Jounin, and the three of us take the last guy."

"I…I guess. I mean, if the last enemy is a chunin, Kakashi should be able to handle him even by himself. And if it's a Jounin…you and Kakashi stood your ground against one together, so all three of us _should_ be able to handle it…right?"

"Well…we just have to hope, I guess. I mean, we technically beat Arashi-sensei during the bell test when we all teamed up, but I doubt he was fighting to his full potential. He was obviously holding back, then."

"True, but Arashi-sensei's no ordinary jounin, is he? I mean… I've heard things around the village; stories, rumors…sensei is famous, and not just in Konoha."

Obito nodded, remembering what Massaro had told him. Thinking about it now was weird; it felt like it had been so long ago.

"Hey you two!" Obito and Rin turned in surprise.

_Speak of the devil,_ Obito thought to himself. Arashi was making his way over to them.

"Since you guys aren't busy right now, why don't you give the crew a hand? They could use some extra help."

"Sure, sensei!" Obito said. Rin nodded in agreement with him.

And so the two of them set off to help the crew manage the _Riverman_.

--

**KAKASHI**

The crow's nest was small, not to mention rather boring.

Nevertheless, Kakashi kept his eye fixed on the waters ahead of them, while his companion, a member of ship's crew who's name Kakashi could honestly not remember, watched the stern and the waters behind.

There was, altogether, not much to see. The river continued well past the horizon, and Kakashi could hardly see anything of the shores on either side. The water was calm and so far not one other ship had come by. Strange, Kakashi thought, because the Great River was heavily relied upon for transportation, especially in the River Country. If there weren't people trying to get to different places, there should definitely be many people trying to get materials to different places.

Dismissing his current train of thought as paranoia, Kakashi focused once again on the horizon.

It had been several hours since their departure, now, and Kakashi had gotten glimpses of the happenings down below on the deck. Arashi was constantly in conversation with the captain, Rin and Obito had been talking awhile ago, seemingly trying to keep their conversation to themselves alone, but they had since begun to help the crew take care of the ship. After all, the _Riverman_ was big, and the crew was a little bit short on men to support it.

Several times during the day the sailors had begun to sing, but often Captain Kisoto had forced them to stop. Eventually, however, he and Arashi had gone below deck and the sailors had continued to sing since. The songs were now dying down as the day progressed into late afternoon. The wind was becoming weaker, causing the ship to slow down. Out of the corner of his eye, Kakashi saw oars appear at the sides of the ship, and the _Riverman_ sped up once more.

Looking back up, Kakashi realized that something was amiss. The water ahead was no longer empty and still as it had been before. Kakashi now saw a glimpse of something far out ahead of them, but could not make out what it was. Most likely a ship, hopefully that of a merchant of some sort, making its way down to the capital.

But before Kakashi could look into it a sudden explosion grabbed his attention. He heard it first, before the entire mast shook and he lost balance. It stayed in one piece, however, and, fortunately, Kakashi had not fallen out of the crow's nest. His companion, however, was close to it.

Kakashi helped him regain his balance then looked down to see what had happened. He saw smoke rising from the stern of the ship while everyone down below rushed over to see what had occurred.

Using chakra, Kakashi increased his ability to hear. Suddenly, he caught the voice of the captain.

"All hands! Back to work!" Kisoto yelled. The crew immediately returned to what they had been doing. Clearly, he did not expect there to be any reason to slow down.

Kakashi watched unknowingly, waiting to find out what had happened. When no one returned, Kakashi turned to the other man in the crow's nest.

"Can I leave this to you?"

"Aye," he answered.

Kakashi nodded and jumped out. Using chakra to stick to the wood, Kakashi ran down the main mast towards the deck. On his way down, Kakashi thought he caught a glimpse of something black. An ink seal, perhaps? No, it couldn't be. It hadn't been there before, there was no way someone could have snuck up there and placed a seal without being noticed.

Arashi and Kisoto had returned and were at the wheel. For the first time in the voyage, the captain had taken the wheel himself. Arashi quickly climbed the steps and met up with them.

"What happened?" He asked. Demanded, even.

"There was an explosion down below and we're starting to take on water," answered Arashi. His voice sounded distressed.

"Doussai…?"

"He's fine. The explosion was below in the bulkhead. I doubt it was meant to hurt him, more likely to sabotage the ship."

"How do you know it wasn't an accident, then?"

Arashi held up what looked like a piece of a shredded paper. Kakashi immediately recognized the explosion tag.

"We got no choice but to get to land, for now," Kisoto interrupted. "We'll figure out what happened an' fix the ship, then get back on our way."

Before any more could be said, they all heard a shout from above.

"OY!" It was the man Kakashi had left in the crow's nest. "CAP'N! WE GOT COMPANY!"

Kakashi followed both their gazes out ahead, and realized in dismay what it was that he had seen before.

Ships. Boats, actually, all headed toward them. _Enemies…_ he thought.

The captain turned to Arashi. No doubt he had the same thought in mind as Kakashi. "We're already headed to land. No choice but to keep going and face them there, else wise we'll end up fighting them underwater."

Arashi nodded, accepting the plan as their only way out.

A few minutes later they released the anchor at the river shore. Obito and Rin had joined them at the wheel, while Kisoto began yelling at his crew.

"Make ready for battle!" He yelled.

The two genin and Kakashi looked to their teacher for orders. Arashi seemed to take his time thinking on it.

At last, he said, "We have to protect the ship. Doussai'll stay in the captain's quarters, he'll be safest there. In fact…one of you should guard him."

He observed the three of them, trying to decide.

"Rin," he said, finally. "Go explain the situation to him, and stay with him. Protect him at all costs."

The kunoichi nodded and left.

"As for you two… there aren't many enemies. A few boatfuls of them…no doubt that means there will be shinobi among them. Protect the ship and the crew; if you see any shinobi, fight them. These sailors won't stand a chance against them."

Kakashi looked down at the deck, where Kisoto had finished giving instructions to his crew.

Strangely calm, Kakashi ran up to the port side of the ship (the left) and watched as the boats approached. There were about fifty men, from the looks of it, most holding swords, some bows, and a couple with grappling hooks.

Said couple were tossing their hooks up at the _Riverman_, latching themselves on so they could begin climbing up. Kisoto shouted some sort of warcry that Kakashi could not understand, and the crew followed his example.

"Back away!" Kakashi yelled as several arrows flew out from below at anyone standing at the edge of the ship.

"Fighting them from here…" Kakashi turned and realized that Obito was speaking to him.

"Seems a bit…easy, doesn't it…?"

Kakashi certainly knew what he was thinking. With the enemy climbing up from their boats it seemed that it would be incredibly easy to pick them off as they struggled to climb over the railing of the ship.

_There's got to be more to it than this…_ he thought, distraught. He was sure that they wouldn't be that stupid.

_Unless…these guys aren't actually with the rebellion. Could they be…pirates?_

But that possibility was immediately rejected as Kakashi felt a surge of chakra appear behind him. He spun, ready to fight, only to find the main mast collapse and fall down on the surprised sailors.

Kakashi angrily glimpsed the seal he had noticed before. The mast collapsed onto the deck, breaking everything near and sending a barrage of splinters flying in all directions.

Behind the broken mast, Kakashi saw him. Clad in a light brown cloak and an Iwagakure headband stood a teenager, probably only a few years older than himself. They glared at each other, neither blinking or paying attention to the surroundings.

Behind him, Obito noticed the enemy as well.

"It's a shinobi…! Alright, Kakashi, let's go!"

"No," he said. "Leave him to me."

"W-what?!"

"Help the sailors. Make sure those thugs don't get onto the ship and damage it anymore than it already is. They'll need your help."

"But-"

"No but's! Rin is guarding Doussai, and there's probably another shinobi here somewhere!"

Kakashi broke eye contact to look up at the wheel. As he had suspected, Arashi was already in combat with another, older, stone shinobi. He eyed the younger one once more, on the other side of the ship.

"Go."

Obito groaned and did as he said, preparing to fight off the thugs. Kakashi saw the boy on the other side smirk, then jump off the edge of the ship. Kakashi followed, jumping over the collapsed mast and off the starboard edge.

--

**OBITO**

Obito grunted as he watched Kakashi jump off the ship, following his opponent. He glanced over at the wheel, where Arashi was deep in concentration, fighting a laughing opponent.

_Gotta focus,_ he told himself, _I've got a job to do._

He sped through a set of seals, then jumped up on the port railings.

"_Katon: Housenka no jutsu!"_

Obito sent seven great fireballs hurling at the boats. Several men were hit, taking the burns, but they continued to climb. Obito quickly flipped back onto the ship, avoiding a barrage of arrows that were sent his way.

_What the…_ _there were definitely more of them before…_

He glanced around the boat, looking for enemies, but none had successfully climbed over yet.

_Where did they… Shit!_

Realizing what had happened, Obito hurried down below-deck, where the cannons and the crew member's sleeping quarters were. Once there, he found exactly what he had suspected. The bastards were climbing in through the cannon holes!

They immediately took notice of him but Obito was not a fool. Not during a serious situation, anyway.

He grabbed a smoke bomb and hurled it at his foes, then began to prepare a Gougakyuu. Then again, he thought, perhaps it would be a bad idea to unleash a giant fireball inside a _wooden_ ship. In fact…fire was a bad idea overall, as he was supposed to protect the ship from harm.

_Damn…those are my best jutsus, too._

He jumped out of the way, hearing an arrow heading in his direction. He bit his lip, thinking of other techniques he could use. But aside from Katon jutsus, he had nothing truly powerful in his arsenal.

This was why he wanted to unlock the Sharingan.

But in the meantime, he had to make due.

"_Bunshin no jutsu!"_ Obito quickly produced two clones, and ran through the now-disappearing smoke at the enemy, kunai and shuriken in hand. He let loose his barrage of steel stars, and immediately found an enemy. They crossed blades, sword and kunai, and Obito spun around behind him and punched him in the back of the head. The man fell forward and Obito moved on to his next adversary.

The smoke was nearly clear, and Obito look around at the rest of the group. They were all in confusion, just now realizing that the smoke had dispersed. Suddenly all eyes were on him, and Obito was surrounded.

"Hehe…" he laughed, weakly. Suddenly, he dropped his kunai and unleashed another smoke bomb. He ran forward with as much power as he could, pushing through the small crowd of men and out the door. The explosion tag he had wrapped onto his kunai set off an explosion behind him, knocking down anyone in pursuit.

Looking to his right, Obito found that some had already run out the door before the smoke had cleared, probably looking for Doussai. Obito followed them to the door of the captain's quarters, which they were banging on, trying to get in.

Obito let fly a few kunai knives in their direction. Three attackers were there. Two noticed his attack, the last was unfortunate enough to get hit in the arm. Said attacker fell down, writhing in pain. The others turned to face Obito, both armed with katanas.

Obito stood his ground, baiting them to make the first move. The two attackers looked at each other, then split up. One ran at Obito, screaming, while the other continued trying to break open the door.

Obito, surprisingly efficient with taijutsu considering his usual practice sessions, easily disarmed the attacker and brought him to the ground.

_Must be the adrenaline…!_

One enemy down, Obito lunged at the last man, who had just now succeeded in breaking open the door. Obito tackled him to the ground. The man grunted beneath him, and Obito heard Rin gasp, probably not having seen him coming.

"R-Rin!" He yelled. "Throw me a kunai!" The man struggled beneath him, trying to throw him off and get up. Needless to say, the weight difference certainly did not make this simple for Obito.

Rin threw him a kunai and Obito quickly put it to his enemy's throat.

"Who are you after?!" He yelled, not getting up, but relinquishing his grip on the man's arms.

"I think that's a little obv…" began Errai, who had come down with Rin to take shelter from the fighting, but Obito cut him off.

"You never know!"

"…Him." The attacker growled, looking at Doussai.

Obito nodded, grabbed the man's sword, and got up. The attacker quickly stood up himself, but Obito quickly threw a punch to his stomach, knocking him back down. He dragged the attacker across the room and then proceeded to throw him out the window.

"Obito, what happened up there? We heard a crash."

"Shinobi." He said hastily. "Somehow they made the mast collapse."

For a split second, there was a look of horror or shock on Rin's face. Obito couldn't tell which, as it disappeared quickly.

"There's two of them, I think a jounin and a chunin. I couldn't really tell. Kakashi's fighting one, and Arashi-sensei is fighting the other."

She nodded.

"How many men are attacking the ship…?" Asked Doussai. Something in his voice seemed a bit closer to curiosity than fear.

"Around fifty or so, I think."

They were interrupted suddenly when a new attacker came running down the stairs and through the door, screaming. He immediately went in Obito's direction, but Rin flung her arm out and stabbed two finger's into his stomach. The man stopped, gasped, and backed up, fear and shock evident in his eyes. His stomach was bleeding where Rin had…poked him? Obito wasn't sure. Nevertheless, Rin dropped down and sweep kicked him, knocking the attacker down.

Still a bit surprised that Rin had so quickly defeated the enemy, Obito chuckled.

"Are you gonna stay here?" He asked.

"Yeah," she said, "we'll lock up the door again and I'll be ready. If there are as many men as you said then the crew may need your help, seeing as Kakashi and Arashi-sensei are probably too busy to do so…"

"You're probably right," he said, and ran out of the room. Rin shut and locked the door behind him, and Obito stabbed the keyhole with a kunai, just for safe measures. He then proceeded back upstairs to the deck. He glimpsed the room below deck, making sure no one else had snuck in. Everyone that had been there before was still there, knocked out by the explosion tag.

Obito ran upstairs to find that, as Rin had predicted, the crew was losing. It had been two to five when he went below deck, but from the looks of it was now one to five. He quickly spotted Kisoto dueling with another man, but was suddenly double-teamed. Obito ran in and jump-kicked one of the attackers, to Kisoto's surprise.

"How are you doing?" Obito asked, not realizing that he was yelling over the din of the fighting. Men were yelling war cries and the ringing of the swords was rather loud.

"We're losing, as you can see. Good thing you're here, too, or else we'd be mincemeat. Aah!" He suddenly yelled out, stabbing a man in the stomach. Obito grimaced, but was suddenly assaulted.

He fell backward, having been cut on his right shoulder. An attacker stood over him, sword at the ready, but Obito rolled out of the way before he could be stabbed. He pushed himself up on his arms and kicked the man's feet out from under him. As he stood up, he grabbed a pair of kunai from his pouch, the last he had left on him, but instead kicked the attacker. He would need the kunai, and he wasn't yet ready to kill. He decided he could probably leave it to the crew to dispose of whomever he beat down.

They continued fighting, Obito beating down his opponents with taijutsu and an occasional weapon, but neglecting to actually draw blood. He found it strange that Rin had so quickly stabbed a man when he was afraid to do so no matter how many chances he continued to get.

There was not much time to think about it, however, as an enemy tossed a ball at him. Obito cocked an eyebrow.

_Oh._

It wasn't a ball; it was a bomb! Obito braced himself when it went off and he fell backwards. He rolled over and quickly stood again, when he was assaulted by a barrage of swords and struggled to parry them all with only the two kunai he held. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw more tiny explosions going off.

_I've gotta get rid of that guy. He's causing trouble for everyone with a sword!_

He kicked an attacker away, then ran from anyone who tried to hit him and jumped onto the broken massed. He ran down the large wooden wreckage and spotted the man tossing bombs. Obito jumped onto a collapsed beam and down at the bomb-man. At the last second the man moved aside, though seemingly only by luck. Obito landed unsteadily, but quickly regained his balanced. He tapped the man on his shoulder, who then turned, only to have Obito throw a brutal punch to his face. Obito caught him and rolled him off the edge of the ship, into the water, and then returned to fighting.

From the look of it, things weren't getting any better. Obito looked around every chance he got, and continued to feed his hope that there wasn't much hope for the ship. He had no choice, he tried to convince himself, and finally gave in. It was time to bring out his best weapon.

"Captain! You better take advantage of this!" He yelled, unsure of whether Kisoto had actually heard him or not.

He jumped back up onto the mast and run up towards the bow, right in front of the mast's base. He couldn't help but smirk to himself. He had been practicing this; now it was finally time to test it out in the field.

He went the seals, focusing hard, then…

"_Katon: Ryuka no jutsu!"_

He exhaled a stream of fire that caught the mast and ran down the middle of the ship, catching the entire mast, though broken, on fire. As he had intended, the ship's crew used it as a perfect chance to attack their bewildered enemies.

Despite that, the battle was still not going well. They were too far outnumbered, and Obito was the only shinobi who was able to help them fight. He glanced out at the river, where he saw Kakashi and the enemy chunin fighting…on top of the water?

Somehow they were walking, running, jumping, and fighting on the water as if it were stable ground, but they were fighting nonetheless. Obito couldn't really tell who was winning. He then looked up at the wheel, only to find that Arashi and his adversary were no longer there. He looked down at the shore and found his teacher fighting a big man, bigger than he had been before. Obito couldn't tell what made him look different, as he was suddenly attacked once again.

Realizing he could not keep losing focus, Obito returned to the fighting, determined to turn the tide.

All of a sudden, however, there was another explosion, and Obito, stumbling, fell off the edge of the ship.

--

**RIN**

Rin heard Obito shove a kunai deep into the keyhole of the now locked door, and that was the last she saw or heard of her teammate.

In the captain's quarters with her were Doussai, Errai, and one of Doussai's subordinates. All three had been rather surprised by her assault on the attacker, much more so than Obito had been.

There was loud noise coming from above. Rin could hear explosions, as well as swords, and, most strangely, cries of battle. These sailors were incredibly loud when they fought…

_No, gotta focus,_ she told herself. She had to remain attentive in case something happened.

Several minutes passed by, with all four tenants of the room noticing a significant rise in the temperature. Had Obito used a Katon jutsu?

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, then a bang, and much yelling. It seemed that more enemies had come down there again, looking to capture Doussai.

Rin took her place beside the doorway, waiting. Errai watched her, Doussai and his subordinate in the corner were watching the door. Rin motioned for Errai not to give away her location, and then the door suddenly burst open.

Two men ran in.

"They're here!" One yelled as they entered.

Rin quickly jumped out of her hiding place and shoved a chakra scalpel into the back of one of the attackers, aiming for his spinal cord. She herself had been surprised at her own will to hurt others so badly, but she assumed it was because she knew she could heal anyone she needed to, so seeing others hurt was not such an issue to her.

Her target fell down in pain, and the other turned and glared at her, raising his weapon. Rin pulled out a kunai and parried his blow, but was severely outmatched in strength and could barely hold him back. She slid out from beneath the sword and kicked the man in his Achilles tendon, hopefully rupturing it, and caught his sword arm in as strong a grip as she could.

Errai ran in to help, and dragged the man backwards, throwing him into the wall and down to the floor. Evidently, he could not get back up with an injured tendon. Errai grabbed the sword to use for himself.

Not a split second later, reinforcements had arrived, having heard the first man's call. Rin counted four men at the front, running towards her, with others following.

Thinking quickly, she slammed the door into the face of the first man, knocking him out. The next two came ramming into the door, knocking Rin down and throwing the door open at the same time. More men came running in. Rin tried to get up and help Errai, left alone with a sword and little knowledge of how to properly use it.

The man succeeded in throwing several hard blows at his enemy, who easily parried them and disarmed him. Rin grabbed more of her kunai and tried to attack a man, but another came from behind and grabbed her arms. The man held her up in the air, Rin struggling. She kicked around, to no avail, until she bit down on the attacker's arm. He let go of her and she rammed an elbow into his groin.

Unfortunately, his natural reaction was to quickly bend forward, knocking his head into her back and Rin fell down on her knees. Another enemy came and grabbed her, while other's took her kunai and her other equipment. No matter what she did, she could not escape.

She looked around, seeing Errai held down, and Doussai's subordinate as well. Doussai himself was surrounded by swords. The politician looked quite calm, and rather calculating, as if he was trying to think of a way out of the situation.

But no matter how Rin looked at it, there wasn't. She had failed.

"What do we do now?" Asked one of the attackers.

One of them seemed to be in charge. "Throw the extras out," he said, eyeing Rin. "We don't need them. It's only the politician we're after."

Heads nodded, and Rin suddenly found herself being hurled out the window into the river, Errai following not longer after.

--

**KAKASHI**

He was losing.

No doubt, Kakashi's opponent was skilled, even for his age.

What he suspected was a fifteen-year-old had been in control of this fight since near the beginning. Kakashi parried an attack, a kunai against his chakra blade. Contrary to where he and the stone chunin had begun their fight, on the shore, they were now battling on the other side of the now destroyed _Riverman_, atop the water.

Kakashi had no trouble keeping his balance on the water. Chakra control was not an issue for him. But the fight itself was annoying. He had realized from the very beginning that his opponent was not only skilled, but also smart. Having assumed that he would have many earth-natured attacks, Kakashi had immediately began using his arsenal of Raiton jutsus. Unfortunately, his opponent, upon realizing Kakashi's affinity for lightning, quickly moved the battlefield away from the shore and to the water. There, Kakashi quickly realized that if he were to use any lightning or electrical attacks, the water beneath him would conduct the electricity. Even if he were to land a hit on the enemy, it would go through him, through the water, and hurt Kakashi himself as well.

Now he was stuck using weapons as his main weapon. He had lost many shuriken already, and every single one of his kunai, which was why he was now using his father's chakra blade.

The Iwanin through a punch, which Kakashi evaded, but suddenly found himself about to impaled by a kunai. He allowed himself to fall into the water, avoiding the attack, then swam up to the surface and regained his balance.

The Iwanin looked at him curiously.

"Was it you that killed Shima?" He asked.

"I don't know who you're talking about!" Kakashi yelled. He leapt forward, jabbing the chakra blade at the enemy. The exchanged blows for a few seconds before Kakashi dove below him and got himself inbetween his enemy and the ruined ship. He jumped back, caught himself on the hull of the _Riverman_ and jumped up above his enemy.

Like his first move during the bell test, Kakashi came down on his opponent in a vicious slash that proved to be null against the two kunai his enemy now held. He quickly grabbed a smoke bomb and released it. It was almost useless to throw it at the water, so instead Kakashi threw it at the Iwanin's foot. The smoke bomb was unleashed, and Kakashi moved away, avoiding a slash.

Once again, he went down beneath the surface of the water, this time pulling his opponent down with him. He managed to catch the enemy off-guard, and somehow attempted to fight him underwater. Neither could move fast enough to make a pointed weapon useful, so underwater taijutsu was the only thing that worked.

Quickly realizing it was pointless, both chunin shot up to the surface. They had both put away their weapons now, and suddenly found that they were in a taijutsu battle now.

Kakashi took the offensive and ran forward, aiming a strong punch at the enemy's chest, but the older boy ducked down and grabbed Kakashi's arm and leg. He flipped Kakashi over and threw his own punch, which landed hard in Kakashi's chest, throwing the silver-haired boy a good few feet away.

Kakashi quickly got up, noticing his opponent go through a set of seals.

_Shit, he's using a jutsu…!_

Kakashi prepared to evade whatever came his way, but the Iwanin finished his seals and merely stood there, then fell once again into a taijutsu stance.

_What was that about?_

Wary, Kakashi stayed in his place, not at all wanting to attack his enemy for fear of a jutsu suddenly being used.

"Tch," the Iwanin said, and he ran forward, jumping over Kakashi's head. Kakashi expected a fist, but instead the opponent grabbed two handful's of shuriken. Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise and he jumped out of the way.

He ended up falling forward, having been grazed in the leg by the shuriken. Painfully, he stood up.

This fight was just getting worse with every passing minute.

_Argh…gotta calm down… There'll be no more taijutsu for me… But I've got more jutsu up my sleeve than he thinks._

Kakashi quickly went through his own set of seals, and pretended to brandish the last of his shuriken, firing them at the enemy as viciously as he could.

"_Kyoushou Genshi no jutsu!"_

The Iwanin evaded the shuriken and prepared to attack. Kakashi saw his eyes widen, hearing the shuriken coming back. He smirked beneath his mask, watching as the enemy ducked and jumped out of the way as the shuriken continued flying around, trying to hit him. At last he brandished a kunai and attempted to catch the shuriken on its blade, only to have the shuriken fly through it, as well as himself, without so much as causing a bruise.

_NOW!_

As his opponent realized that the shuriken had only been a genjutsu, Kakashi lunged forward using his good leg and punched him hard in the face. This time the Iwanin flew back several feet.

Kakashi flashed through another set of seals.

"_Katon: Kagai no jutsu!" _Fire element: Fire Scythe!

Kakashi pulled down his mask and unleashed a horizontal blade of fire that flew straight at the Iwanin.

His enemy followed Kakashi's own idea and sunk into the water to avoid the flames, then quickly resurfaced. Kakashi realized quickly that he had used some seals while underwater.

"Hmph. Don't think I'm out of my element here!" He yelled. "Suiton: Mizu Kyousha no jutsu!" Water Element: Water Spear!

A pointed geyser of water erupted from the water. Kakashi barely jumped away in time.

The Iwanin grinned, changing his seal. Kakashi looked up to see the spear twist and come back down at him.

He couldn't just keep dodging, not with his leg the way it was… He had only one other option.

He unsheathed his chakra blade once again, hoping to God that he could get it to work the first time. He empowered it with his own chakra and slashed the water spear.

He closed his eyes hoping for the best, and suddenly felt the water fall down on him. It was cold, but harmless.

Kakashi looked around and found his enemy was gone.

_Where did he…?_

His question was suddenly answered when a boulder from the riverbed suddenly came flying through the water beneath him and sent him flying. Kakashi landed in the water and slowly got back up, only to have another boulder come at him.

No choice; he had to do it again. It was waste chakra or waste energy that his leg couldn't even use. He prepared his chakra blade and stabbed the boulder as it came flying up at him.

He had expected it to stop where it was. At the worst, he thought, he might get the blade stuck in it.

But the boulder kept going and threw Kakashi into the air once more.

"Argh…"

What the hell had happened? He had felt the chakra surge into the blade… He was positive he didn't mess up. That meant that there wasn't any chakra in the boulder…?

No. That was impossible! It had to have been a Doton jutsu that did that, there was no other way that he could have been assaulted by the earth.

He grimaced as his opponent resurfaced. Kakashi struggled to stand back up, barely managing to put any weight on his injured right leg.

Nevertheless, he gave the enemy a look that clearly said, 'Bring it on!'.

The Iwanin began the seals to another jutsu, then quickly ran at Kakashi. He tried to hold his ground as the enemy ran into him. Kakashi grabbed the Iwanin's arm and attempted the only thing he could think of. He thrust out his right and attempted a Vulcan Neck-Thrust, hoping to knock his enemy unconscious. However, before he could manage it, the Iwanin poked his shoulder hard, then swatted away Kakashi's hand with a kunai and jumped away.

_What the hell did he do?_

Kakashi looked at his shoulder and found the same seal he had seen before on the mast there. The Iwanin grinned, and put his hands together in one last seal.

"Behold and beware, my greatest skill! _Genshuku Baindo no jutsu!_ Gravity Bind!"

Kakashi felt a sudden weight fall on him, holding him down. He immediately fell forward but managed not to fall. He could barely stand with his leg injured, now he was barely able to stand at all! He felt as if someone had just placed a three-hundred pound weight on his back.

The Iwanin quickly lunged forward and kicked Kakashi's chest upward. He barely moved, but felt the pain nonetheless. His opponent threw a barrage of punches in all directions and Kakashi took every one of them. Still, he was barely moved but felt it all.

"Hah!" Yelled the Iwa chunin. Suddenly the weight was lifted from Kakashi's back. In fact, more than the normal weight was gone. All of a sudden, Kakashi felt incredibly light.

Apparently he had _become_ very light as the other chunin grabbed him by the throat, held him up high and threw him at the hull of the _Riverman_. Kakashi groaned in pain, taking the hit. He grabbed onto the ship, trying to avoid being taken away by the current. He was tired and weak, and no longer had anything left to fight with.

He was beaten.

The Iwanin laughed out loud, then used another, single seal. Kakashi felt an immense pressure come from down beneath the water, and gasped as a small ship arose from beneath. It bore the same seal as the _Riverman'_'s mast and his own shoulder.

"Ta," the Iwanin said, then turned to face the larger ship.

"Let's go!" He yelled. All of the attackers began to jump off the _Riverman_ and into the smaller ship. Kakashi watched as Doussai, having been captured, was thrown into the ship, followed by another Iwanin who was carrying something on his other shoulder. Weak, fatigued, and bleeding, Kakashi could not tell what it was.

A minute later the enemy's ship was sailing off, with one final explosion destroying the Riverman completely. Kakashi slowly attempted to swim back to shore, fighting the current and his own fatigue.

--

**OBITO**

When he awoke, it was dark.

Obito slowly opened his eyes to see a great black sky filled with bright stars.

_What…happened?_

The last thing he remembered was falling off the edge of the _Riverman_. After that, everything was just blank in his mind.

"Doussai!" He yelled, sitting up suddenly. He immediately regretted it (1).

"Don't overexert yourself," said Rin, who had walked over to him. Obito slowly lay back down. He started to notice everything now. It was cold, but he could feel the warmth of a fire a few meters away. He was lying on the earth, with no blanket or anything whatsoever. Now that he thought about it, though, they probably didn't have any blankets at all.

Obito looked around to see who "they" were. Beside the fire he saw Errai and a few of the _Riverman_ crew. Kakashi was there, too, asleep by the fire.

Arashi, however, was not.

"Rin, what happened? Where's Arashi-sensei? And Doussai?"

"We…we lost. The _Riverman_ was completely destroyed and the enemy escaped on another ship. They took Doussai…"

"What about Arashi? Where is he?!"

"I-I'm not sure!" She yelled. "We…_I'm_ pretty sure they took him too!"

"W-what?! No, that's impossible! There's no way Arashi-sensei would have lost! He must have…he must have escaped or…gone to get help! I'm sure of it, sensei just went off to get help! He must have gone while we were all unconscious!"

"Obito… I was never unconscious. I remember everything that happened… After they took Doussai, they threw me and Errai out into the river and we swam to shore… We've both been awake the entire time. Kakashi and the surviving crew members, they made their way to the shore too… They were awake, too. Kakashi told me what happened to him and then went to sleep… But Arashi-sensei never showed up."

"No… I don't believe you. He…there's…no way. He couldn't have been captured!"

Rin was sobbing.

"Obito…I'm sorry. I… Kakashi, he said that he…he saw one of the Iwa shinobi carrying something large on his shoulder when he boarded their ship… He says…he thinks it was Arashi. He couldn't tell at the time, but after we realized that sensei was gone he became positive that it was him that they carried off…"

"No… But…but why?! Why would they take him?!"

"Arashi-sensei…he's famous all over the world…feared, actually. If they could defeat him, then they obviously would have wanted him captured."

"That…no…I just…I won't believe it…"

"Obito…" she said, "I think you should go back to sleep…"

Obito had been about to protest, but Rin put her hand on his forehead and suddenly Obito fell back into a dreamless sleep.

Hours later he awoke once again. This time, he was much calmer and Rin allowed him to get up.

"Alright…" he said, "I think…I think I can listen now. What happened?"

They were all sitting around the fire, with the exception of two of the _Riverman_ crew who Rin said had gone out to find food.

Rin told Obito of everything that happened after he left. How more attackers had come, how she tried to fight them but was outnumbered and overwhelmed, and how she and the others had been captured and thrown off the ship.

"What happened to you?" She asked.

Obito sighed and began explaining how the battle on deck had progressed, and about the explosion that caused him to stumble off the edge of the ship.

"I don't know what happened after that…"

"We found you a little while after they escaped," she said. "You were unconscious and washed up on the shore. You didn't wake up after a long time and I started to get worried, so I used the energy I had left over from healing Kakashi to heal your wounds. You weren't hurt too bad."

Obito nodded.

"And what happened with Kakashi…?"

For that answer, Rin turned to the silver-haired chunin himself. She knew the story, but she had heard the tired, rushed version that Kakashi had given her after swimming to shore.

Kakashi talked through his fight with the Iwa chunin and his strange seal.

"I think the jutsu he used… It was something like…gravity bind, I think. I'm pretty sure I know how it worked. He had to place a seal on whatever object he wanted to target… It has to have a certain amount of mass, probably. But…the jutsu itself seemed to allow him to control the gravity around the targeted mass. It's how he brought down the mast. I saw his seal on it before it collapsed. And afterward, he put it on me, too, and used it to basically paralyze me while he beat me up."

"It's also how he brought the ship up, I think. He must have put a seal on it and kept the gravity around it strong enough so that it would stay hidden down on the riverbed. Then when he released the seal, it floated to the surface of the water, since it wasn't broken or damaged at all. And then they made their escape…"

"I still don't get how it all started…" said Rin.

"I think I know that, too. That kid…the chunin. I think I saw him on the ship before the attack. He must have been disguised as a crew member, or someone who was with Doussai. He must have been the one to set off the explosion tags that damaged the ship… And then he and his teammate appeared after he broke the mast."

Obito didn't know what explosion tags Kakashi was talking about, but his theory seemed to fit with what had happened.

"No doubt," Errai piped in, "they had a strong plan, and executed it well. They beat us. Badly. And took my brother… This is definitely the turning point the rebellion has been looking for. Most likely, once word gets out, the rebellion will start to amass and actually attempt a coup on the Daimyo."

Obito noticed the expression on Rin's face seemed to be in less than agreement with what Errai had said, but he did not bother to question it. He was too tired. And hungry.

Not long after, the two crew members had returned. They had found some food from the ship, washed up on the beach of the river a little ways away from where they were. The group ate, and found themselves all in quiet thinking.

Suddenly, Obito broke the silence, asking the question that probably everyone wanted answered.

"So what do we do now?"

Rin looked at Kakashi. The crew members first glanced at Errai, but then followed Rin's gaze and waited for Kakashi to decide. Errai did not seem to have any suggestions. He, too, looked to Kakashi for an answer.

Kakashi did not seem to have expected to immediately gain leadership of the group. Nevertheless, he sighed and voiced his thoughts.

"We continue the mission," he said. "It's not in the ways of Konoha shinobi to abandon the objective after a defeat."

"But how do we go about doing that? We were supposed to protect Doussai, and we failed…" Said Rin.

"Then we have to get him back before anything happens to him."

"So we're gonna rescue Doussai?" Obito asked. He wasn't particularly sure about letting Kakashi lead at first, but the chunin seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Obito. It wasn't over yet.

"Well…" continued the silver-haired chunin, "we have no idea where they'll take Doussai…and regardless, we won't be able to beat those Iwanin on our own…"

"So to beat them, we're going to need help." Said Rin. "We're going to need someone strong."

"Someone like Arashi-sensei," Obito finished.

Kakashi nodded.

"Our best bet will probably be to find and rescue Arashi-sensei… But where…? Um… Errai-san, can you think of any place where they might keep a powerful prisoner?"

"I…I can't say for sure." Errai answered. "But… I would say that you…_we_ should probably hope to find him in Kawashuuryou. It's the rebellion headquarters…so most likely they would keep a prisoner like Arashi-san somewhere where they can keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't escape anywhere. He'd be safest for them there."

"Kawashuuryou…" Kakashi repeated the name.

"It's northwest of here. If we follow the Great River, it'll fork and we just have to follow it north and then northwest, and it'll bring us there."

"Alright…what else can you tell us about it?"

"Well…we recently found out that it's the rebellion's headquarters. Although…we have some spies there. Actually, the military was dispatched not long before we left to go to Kawashuuryou and find the rebellion's headquarters. We never found out what happened to the soldiers that were sent there."

"I…I see."

"It sounds dangerous," said Rin.

"But if it means finding Arashi-sensei…" said Obito, "I'm willing to go."

A second later, Rin nodded, and they looked at Errai.

"If you want to get there safely, you're probably going to need me…and I want to help rescue my brother. God forbid should anything happen to him…Anyway, he may be there, or we may found out what happened to him there. So…I'm in."

The four sailors who were with them discussed the idea themselves.

"The way we see it," one of them said, "either we go with you, or we jump ship at the first city we reach on the way. So for the time being we're going with you. But we're not promising that we'll stick with you to the end."

Obito nodded. Alright.

They all looked at Kakashi.

The chunin sighed to himself, and stood up.

"It's settled, then. We're setting out for Kawashuuryou, to rescue Arashi."

_To Kawashuuryou_, Obito thought to himself.

To the River's End.

* * *

1: This must be the most overused way for a character to get up after waking up after some sort of fight. But I used it anyway.

Author's Notes:

The chapter was hard to write if only because I wanted to stick a lot of action in it to jumpstart the story again. The first update in 10 months...and Mind Games was hardly a chapter I really wanted anyone coming back to after that long. Hopefully this chapter was more enjoyable. Anyway, I'm gonna write one more chapter for this story before I go back to Shinigami no Nara for a little while.

Reviews:

Ninbunny Alchemist: Hopefully by the time you get to this chapter, you'll have already realized this, as there's a note about it one of the previous chapters. Anyway, I started this story before the Yondaime's name was revealed, and back then I think most people were convinced that his name was going to Kazama Arashi, so I used that. I'm not planning on changing it to Namikaze Minato.

Please review! It helps me write!

**Next Chapter:** Kawashuuryou


	11. Kawashuuryou

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

QUICK NOTE: I think I should make it clear what the purpose of the prologue chapter was. According to (I'm assuming) the databooks, Obito is a Chunin during Kakashi Gaiden. However, Kakashi Gaiden portrays him as a pathetic and cowardly shinobi who, personally, I do not think would ever have passed a Chunin exam. For that purpose, I'm making his skill more realistic so that by Kakashi Gaiden he will be Chunin level. For those who don't think he should be that strong, I simply use the prologue chapter as an excuse to say that he's stronger than canon. For others, it doesn't matter, does it?

Anyway, nothing else for now. This chapter is officially the longest I've ever written. 30 pages! Enjoy.

* * *

Loser Uchiha

**Chapter X**

_Kawashuuryou_

* * *

**KAKASHI**

The journey to Kawashuuryou had been long on foot. It had taken them nearly three whole days due to the sailors' and Errai's inability to keep up with their pace. They had departed the morning after their decision was made. Almost immediately after embarking on the journey, they had stumbled upon some of their belongings, washed up on shore after the _Riverman_ had been destroyed. Among those was Rin's own package of belongings, which she had been especially eager, almost relieved even, to have found.

Kakashi had briefly wondered what was in there that was so important to her, but quickly forgot about it.

For at last, they had basically made it to their destination. Kakashi could see the outline of the city in the distance.

His first thought was that the city was accurately named. It was built literally _on_ the Great River, with all the buildings and roads floating atop the water and kept in place by steel beams that attached them to the shores. Not the entire city was built on the water, of course, but the center of it was. It extended farther out to land, where most of the farmland that kept the city alive was. Errai had told them that there were even sections of the city that were built underwater.

Most likely, that was where the rebellion's underground headquarters were, Kakashi assumed.

As Errai had explained to them, Kawashuuryou was not openly the home of the rebellion. Simply visiting the city would not reveal any signs of the rebellion; it had taken powerful intelligence and spying to discover that the rebellion's heads had made their home here. True, there were few loyalists in Kawashuuryou, but there was still no way it would openly oppose the government. Soldiers had already been sent there to investigate the possibility of a rebel base, according to their all-knowing former-guide, and there were only signs. Little evidence, but enough to assure Errai, apparently, that this was where they were hiding.

_Arashi had better be here…_

Kakashi hoped dearly that the Jounin was being held in Kawashuuryou. If not, then this entire journey would have been a waste of time, and possibly a waste of their lives. They couldn't risk going in there looking for him without being positive that he was there. On the other hand, however, they also could not risk searching for Doussai and his Iwagakure captors without Arashi's help, or they would surely be killed. And Kawashuuryou was their best bet at finding him.

The plan was rather simple; almost _too_ simple for Kakashi to bother with. However, they had no other options, and would have to proceed with it. They only had five people, after all.

Himself, Rin, and Obito for one. Errai had accompanied them, hoping to help save his brother (though whether or not Doussai needed saving was not something Kakashi was sure of, assuming Arashi's suspicions were true). Of the sailors that had escaped the wreckage of the _Riverman_ with them, only one had stayed with them to the end. Kagushita Morio, claiming to be eternally loyal to his late captain, had decided to join them on their infiltration of Kawashuuryou in the hopes of retribution for Captain Kisoto. Kakashi, personally, was unsure of how much to trust the sailor, but with his lack of men he had no choice.

As for the plan itself…

To say the least, Kakashi found it less than satisfactory. Far less.

They needed to search the prisons of the city, the barracks, any place where Arashi may have been held. However, there was no way they would be able to simply infiltrate the city. It was probably going to be on guard, seeing as it should have recently been attacked. Sneaking in would be difficult for anyone in their group but Kakashi, most likely. While Rin and Obito were shinobi, they were hardly experienced nor skilled enough to infiltrate a heavily guarded location. Errai and Morio were even less likely to be useful.

That lack of infiltration skill called for a distraction.

Of course, the only way to distract the city leaders, as well as those of the underground rebel heads and soldiers was to meet with them directly. Kakashi had decided that the best way to do so would be to masquerade as rich, powerful merchants looking to endorse the rebellion. They would be able to attempt at negotiating a benefit for themselves should the rebellion succeed while searching for Arashi. That meant, of course that they would have to split up.

Not only splitting the group, but also splitting up jobs.

Errai, being the brother of Doussai and known to anyone familiar with the government, could not risk being seen by anyone working directly under the rebellion heads. That left him out of the negotiations for sure. Obito, being the idiot who couldn't follow even the simplest rules, was definitely not cut out for any sort of diplomacy or negotiation. He would definitely have to be kept away from the rebellion heads, or he would slip up and reveal their true purpose. That left Rin, Morio, and Kakashi himself.

Rin was smart, but inexperienced. That meant that she could crack under the enemy's pressure, which meant that she could not go alone. And Morio was definitely not intelligent enough for diplomacy.

However, no plan was complete without a backup. In case something were to happen and they were discovered they would need to find a way to escape. That was probably where Morio would be most helpful. If Kakashi could find a way to sneak Errai in as well, then the two of them could probably form some sort of backup plan and help them out.

That only left Rin and Kakashi for the negotiations.

Of course, with Rin and Kakashi handling negotiations and Morio and Errai handling the emergency backup, only Obito was left to search for Arashi. Being sneaky was definitely not one of Obito's strong points, and Kakashi was not all too sure if he could trust the Uchiha to scour the prisons or barracks and not get caught. But everyone else was more useful taking care of another job.

Which meant that Kakashi would just have to make due.

As they neared Kawashuuryou's walls, Kakashi was able to get a better view of the city. The majority of the buildings were made of stone and seemed to rise up from the water, anchored down deep at the bottom of the river. That would have taken some skilled architectural work, but places more magnificent than this existed. Therefore, Kakashi did not doubt that it was possible. Aside from the buildings however, there were also many walkways. Most of the city was probably meant to get transportation by boat in the watery roads, but there were walkways that seemed as if they were built on a massive dock, with wooden rafts held in place by rope and steel to keep anything from floating down with the current. Speaking of which, Kakashi noticed, the current here was noticeably stronger than the point where they had set off from.

"This here is the widest section of the river…" Errai said quietly. That explained how such a huge majority of the city was built over it.

Kakashi, at the head of the group, stopped, deciding that they were probably around a hundred meters away from the city entrance. He turned to Errai.

"Is there any other way into the city aside from this entry point?"

Errai shook his head. "I'm afraid not. This is the only way in…"

"Then, in that case, we're going to have to find you a way in. I'm sure the guards will recognize your face if they see it."

Errai bit his lip. He was probably bothered by the fact that he was the only burden to their entering of the city.

Kakashi watched with interest as ships, both small and large, entered the city. The majority of the entrance was water, but there were walkways built on the side. Small ones. It was impossible to sneak in on foot. No doubt the designers of the city were aware of that fact.

He sighed. This rescue mission was going to be difficult…

"Looks like this is going to take some time…and more planning." He looked at Rin. "Rin, you and I are going to enter on our own. Everyone else will have to remain out here for the day while we gather information. We'll find a way for them to enter the city and search for the rebellion's hideout, and hopefully we'll be able to request a meeting with its leaders instead of forcing our way into a deal with them."

"Alright," she said.

"Actually…" Kakashi thought back on that plan. "Morio. Do you think anyone in there might recognize you? At all? Anything that could make anyone suspicious of you, report you, anything that will make you stand out to these people?"

The sailor thought for a moment. "Only this…" He said, rolling up his sleeve and pointing to a tattoo on his upper arm. "It's as symbol of the _Riverman _crew. Someone in there could recognize it, I suppose, if they even catch a glimpse."

"Well, we can't risk it," Said Kakashi, pulling out some tape. "Cover it with this. If anyone asks, it's a wound that needs healing. And make sure you act like you have a wound, too, or no one will buy it. If someone offers medical help, just tell them Rin is treating you and she knows what she's doing."

"Aye," the sailor replied.

"Alright, then. While me and Rin take care of our own jobs, your job will be to start searching for some form of backup for later on. More time will hopefully make it easier for you. We'll find you and let you know once we know the full plan and are prepared to sneak in Obito and Errai. That's the plan. Everyone got it?"

Everyone nodded, save for Obito.

"You mean we're just gonna have to SIT out here all day? Nobody would recognize _me_!" He looked annoyed.

"They won't, but someone has to stay here with Errai to keep him safe. And while you're waiting, you're to remain here until at least one of us returns with a plan to get you guys in. And while we're in there, DON'T DO ANYTHING STUPID."

He emphasized that last a bit as much as he could. The look on Obito's face said clearly that he knew it was mostly directed at him.

He faced Rin and Morio.

"Let's go."

--

**RIN**

The city walls were probably about half the size of Konoha's walls.

Nevertheless, they were still a tad intimidating as Rin, Kakashi, and Morio made their way beneath it, across the wooden walkway.

Halfway down the pathway stood a guard. Next to him was a staircase in the wall, probably leading up to the top of the wall.

"Business?" The guard asked.

Kakashi walked up to him. It was strange, Rin thought, because he was eye to eye with the burly-looking guard. As soon as they left Obito and Errai she and Kakashi had transformed into older, more innocent-looking "merchants" and hid their headbands.

"Just tourists," answered Kakashi, sounding quite innocent.

The guard eyed Morio.

"That's our bodyguard," Kakashi said quickly, noticing. "My wife and I are merchants. Quite wealthy, actually, and we've heard much about this city. But in a period of civil war like this…one can't be too careful."

Rin struggled to hide surprise at being referred to as Kakashi's wife but easily regained her focus.

_Kakashi's an amazing actor…_ she realized. That made their upcoming mission seem a bit less difficult.

The guard seemed to be scanning them with his eyes, taking in all there was to see and judging whether or not they were suspicious or not. For a moment, Rin was afraid he had noticed the Genjutsu.

Then he stepped aside and nodded. "Move along, then," he said.

Kakashi thanked him and kept walking, Rin and Morio following closely behind. Once inside the city, Rin realized that her ferry ride in the capital had been nothing special compared to what living here must be like. The water served as roads, with wooden sidewalks lining the waterways. But the city itself was built on several levels. She saw stone walkways and bridges above them, as if there were another city of stone built above the one of water.

Kakashi led them down the wooden waterways and away from the wall. Once they were closer in towards the city square he turned to them both.

"We'll split up here. Morio, you go and do your part. Rin, you and I will find a map and formulate a plan to get Obito and Errai in. But more importantly, we need to find a connection to the rebels and try to arrange a meeting with their leaders. You find a map and I'll search for anyone connected to them… And then we'll meet back up here at the square. Morio, we'll come find you once we figure out a way to sneak the others inside."

"Sounds good," the sailor said, and he went off on his way.

"I'll get going too, then," she said, and left Kakashi were he was.

_For some reason,_ she thought to herself, _I keep ending up sightseeing on this mission…_

After all, finding a map was probably the most tourist-y thing she could be doing right now. She knew there were important reasons for finding a map, but she still felt like she had simply been sent sightseeing.

She hurriedly entered the square. Unlike most places, she realized, the square literally was a square.

A square of water.

_What kind of city square is this?!_

Looking around, she saw the sides of the square were all packed with stores. Looking above, she also saw a maze of a bridges and stone walkways, and what was most likely several levels of square-shaped markets.

_Wow…_ she thought. This city was truly a work of art. If she wasn't on a mission…

No, she had to ignore these thoughts. She had a job to take care of, and she had to stay focused until it was complete. After all, simply BEING in the city was putting them all in danger, and if she wasn't smart about it, Rin would probably end up making the situation worse.

Anyway, the square was probably her best bet at finding a map. She hurriedly found a staircase that led up to the next level and realized that there had to be at least twice as many stores on this level as the previous one. Rin looked around at all the stores.

A boat shop…

A book store…

A seafood restaurant…

A forge…

An ice cream parlor…yum… NO! Forget about that!

And a tourist shop, filled with all kinds of useless, cheap souvenirs and gifts that people seemed to like to buy. Rin decided that that was her best bet at finding a map and quickly entered the store.

The lights inside were considerably dim compared to the outside. The entire store was built of stone, which gave it a rather old feeling. Now that she thought about it, the city itself seemed rather old, and probably was. But the architecture involved in building such a place… It seemed far too advanced for any time period indicated by the stone design. She supposed it was simply intended to seem so old.

Looking through the shop, Rin saw many things. Sunglasses, several miniature ships, clothes, and several books all titled _"The History of the River's End"_. She almost picked up one of the books but immediately forced her attention away and to an array of maps. She slowly shuffled through them. One was of the River Country…another of the world…one of the capital… Ah, there it was! A detailed map of Kawashuuryou itself. Rin pulled it out of the stack of maps and brought it over to the cashier of the store.

"How much would this be?"

Lucky for them, Rin had found her belongings washed up on the shore of the Great River, with a good, useful number of ryo inside.

"That's…five hundred ryo." (1)

_WHAT?!_

Several minutes later, Rin emerged from the store with the map. After an attempt at some bargaining (as practice for the negotiations she would have to do later that nght), she had been forced to use Genjutsu to steal the map. She had had to drop the henge around her to cast the other genjutsu, but as she was now inside the city, she didn't think it would matter much. She hurried away from the shop and opened the map.

_Hmm…_

The city, complete with its protective walls, was a hexagonal shape. She used it to navigate her way around the city, trying to memorize it incase she lost the map later on. Meanwhile, she also searched for any entrance to the city other than main entrance, but none were included on the map.

_Is that really the only way in? What if people come from the other side of the city?_

Unable to use the map to any advantage, Rin resigned to waiting for Kakashi and allowing him a chance to find a way in. In the meantime, she decided to head towards the harbor. Judging by the map, they were quite large and full of ships and boats, and there were two levels. Of course, they weren't built above one another, but there seemed to be rapid-like walls that led from one level to the other.

_Maybe the rapids increase the ship's movement speed so it can get off to a faster start?_ She could not tell what the purpose was.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder. Her first instinct was to spin around, but the grip was strong enough to push her forward and not allow her to turn. Whoever it was, they wrapped their other arm around her.

"What's a little girl like yourself doing around here all alone, hmm?" They asked. It was a man. Judging from his voice and arms, he was an adult, and strong. She felt the sun suddenly blocked out and assumed that this person was probably pretty tall. His fingers felt thin on her shoulders though…he was probably pretty thin. More importantly though…

His breath was disgusting.

"What's it to you?" She returned, gritting her teeth. She wanted to kick this guy's ass for touching her, but she couldn't risk exposure. Any girl her age who could beat a full grown man in a fight would probably immediately be under suspicion as a shinobi. And she did NOT want to draw attention to herself.

"Oh…not much. But I'm just curious, see, 'cause of me money just went and disappeared. I was planning to buy myself a nice round of cooked fish with tha'. I was just wondering who could possibly have taken it…when I realized tha' a little brat around your size could probably have grabbed it without me noticing and run off. Now, I wonder where you got that expensive looking map from, hmm?"

"I bought it with my own money," she said.

"And how would someone so small as you have come up with the money for it…?"

Thinking quickly, Rin replied, "My father is in town with me. He gave me leave to travel the city with…with my bodyguard, but I left him back at…a restaurant. And my father gave me money to spend. I bought the map with that money. I didn't want to get lost."

"Uh huh…"

The man suddenly spat in front of her and brought his face closer. "Somehow I doubt tha'…"

He pushed her and covered her mouth. "Let's go. I'll see if tha' money is yours or not…"

Rin suddenly realized that he was pushing her into an alley. Not much of an alley in a city like this, but…if she tried to escape, he probably was planning to drown her or something so no one would know.

She struggled against him, attempting not to use chakra. But she had no choice, from the looks of it. She was about to stab him with a chakra scalpel when his grip suddenly loosened. Rin looked up. Her captor was being pulled away.

"What're you doing?" He said, angrily.

"I should ask you the same question."

"This brat stole my money!"

Rin escaped the man's hold completely and turned to see what was happening. A man, probably around his 30's, was holding her attacker's arm in a tight grip. A sword was held at his waist. The man looked at her.

"Somehow…I doubt that."

The mugger went for a knife in his pocket, but the other man was too quick. He pulled out his sword and cut the mugger's arm, causing him to drop the knife. Then he proceeded to glare and stab the sword into the man's stomach. The mugger keeled over in pain.

Rin gasped at the sudden attack. Her "savior" (not that she needed one) put a hand over the mugger's mouth to drown out the screams and yells.

"I'm sorry about that," he said, "we get scum like that running around every once and a while. Did he hurt you?"

For a shinobi, Rin thought, she was far too traumatized by this than she should be. It was just one man stabbing another, which shinobi were destined to see quite often. She'd _done_ it to other people herself!

But this…seemed like overkill just for a mugger.

"Yeah…" she breathed. "I'm…I'm fine. He said I took his money, but…"

"It's fine," the man said, nodding. He stood up. Rin glanced at the mugger, who was clearly dead. The other man kicked him into the water.

Rin looked him over, observing. He wore a simple grey robe and loose pants. His hair was brown and his face seemed rather old, and yet young at the same time. As if his mind was too old for his own body.

The man sheathed his katana. Suddenly, beneath, his sleeve Rin glimpsed a symbol on his arm.

A character, actually.

One that read, _**Change**_. She thought she saw the image of flowing water next to it, but she had only had the chance to glimpse it for an instant.

"Is something the matter?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Thank you for helping me, though."

_Change…that's an odd thing to have tattooed on your arm. Hm…change…maybe…is he with the rebellion? An organization planning to take control of a country and change it for the better…it could be some traditional or customary symbol. In any case, it's worth looking into._

This man could be of use to her, she thought. He could provide some good information. Perhaps even the "connection" that Kakashi was out looking for. But she needed to find a way… She'd have to lie again. Keep Kakashi's story going…

"Erm…" she said. The man looked at her. "I…I should probably go find my father…"

Well, _her_ story at least.

The man nodded. "I see. I'll help you find him, then."

_Perfect…!_

She needed some time of course. She'd try to talk to him and figure out if he was the rebellion. And if she got any evidence to prove it, then she could always mention that her "father", Kakashi, was a wealthy merchant looking to aid the rebellion. If the man really was with the rebels then he would provide for the connection that her teammate was looking for. She just had to hope that Kakashi was still using his henge.

She began walking away, the man following her stride.

"What does he look like?"

"Um…" Rin struggled to remember what Kakashi's henge had looked like. He obviously had not wanted to be recognized by anyone as one of the Konoha shinobi who had been aboard the _Riverman_. "He has long black hair…it sticks up. And he's wearing a brown trench coat."

"Mmhmm," the man nodded, forming the image in his head.

"Uh…" She searched for the right words…

"Yes?"

"That…character, on your arm…does it symbolize something?"

The man stopped short at the mention of his tattoo.

_Shit,_ she thought. _This could be bad._

He sighed. "You saw that?"

She nodded slowly.

"It…uh…hmm…" he sighed again, and looked away. "Would you mind coming with me somewhere?"

This was probably for the best, but she had no idea what he planned to do. If he wanted to get rid of her for noticing the tattoo…

"I don't know…I mean, I should probably get back to my father soon…"

"It won't take long…come."

He put a hand on her shoulder and led her away. Rin attempted to act as if she was reluctant to go, but inside she was ecstatic. This could be very good…

The man led her to a restaurant. Rin made sure to take notice of the name. _Maruko's Seafood…_ There were many seafood places in this city, from the looks of it. She'd have to remember this one's exact location.

Inside, Rin saw plenty of people eating fish and other sea creatures. A couple were even eating turtle…

_Gross…_

The man left her and began talking to one of the men tending to the bar on the far side of the restaurant. Rin took a seat and waited patiently for him to return. She watched from where she sat as the man spoke with the bartender, looking quite serious. At last, he returned to her.

"Girl, may I ask your name?"

"Urm…"

_Shit._

Well, this was definitely an obstacle she had not expected… She needed to come up with a name, and fast! But what name could she possibly use…

Panicking, she settled for reversing her own name.

"Nir..a. Nira." She said, finally.

"Nira? Well, then, Nira, may I ask where you came from?"

_Dammit! Why is he asking me all this all of a sudden?!_

"Uh…me and my father, we came from…uh…Yougeki. We came here from Yougeki to…see the city."

There. At least now he had no reason to ask why they had come.

"I see…that is certainly interesting. And your father…what does he…do, exactly?"

_Yes! This is the chance I was looking for!_

"He's a merchant. He came here to see if he had any chance of setting up some form of business here. That's one of the reasons he sent me off to look through the city, to look at the kind of competition we have here. He's actually pretty wealthy, he wants to install a new restaurant from a chain that our family owns."

The man nodded.

"Actually…" she added, "I think he had another reason for coming here. I don't know it exactly…it doesn't really make too much sense to me… He said he wanted to…establish connections here. He wanted to be with the right people, he said. With the right side… Like, he said he wanted to find… 'good business'."

_Will he figure it out?_ She wondered, as a frown appeared on the man's face.

Then he nodded.

"Nira-chan, then…" She grimaced at his use of the honorific. "Do you think you could take me to meet your father?"

_Perfect…_

**--**

**THE CONSPIROR**

"Well?" He asked. "How are the preparations?"

"As ordered sir, all units are deployed and ready. We simply await your move."

"Great. We're almost done, now… Just a few more days and it'll all be over."

The messenger nodded his agreement.

"Any other business you have need to discuss, my good man?"

"Yes, sir. As you requested, the Daimyo's new guards are keeping track. He has no idea of recent happenings. He believes that you are dead, murdered aboard the _Riverman_…and has appointed another to take your place."

"A shame that I am so easily replaced…nevertheless, it makes things far simpler. And it would aid my image to return alive…"

The man said nothing, clearly not understanding what his plan was.

"You are dismissed," he said. The man left. In his place came the attendant.

"Is there any more paperwork to be taken care of, or are we free to proceed without backfire?" He asked.

"No, sir. But you have a visitor, I believe. Two of them."

He nodded. They were here at last.

"I see. Alert the captains that I will make my move tonight. Send those two in as you leave."

"Hai!"

The messenger exited the room, and immediately the two of them entered.

"Welcome, Nagenai-san. I assume your latest job is done?"

"Indeed. Our next pay is ready as well?"

"It can wait. You have one last thing to take care of, and I will award you your complete pay for the entire mission."

Nagenai's eyes narrowed.

"We agreed that you would pay us extra for this!" He yelled, slamming his hands on the desk. "Doussai, it was agreed before what this mission would cost you, and you had better pay us extra for everything else you have us do!"

Doussai glared at this outburst.

"It wasn't in our original pact to take out these platoons! It wasn't in our original pact to destroy that ship! You owe us money, and you'll pay as promised!"

"Indeed I will. With time. You have one last goal to take care of, I believe."

Nagenai calmed a bit. The boy, Jisui, looked out from behind him.

"And that would be?" Said Jisui.

"What else is left?" Nagenai growled. "We faked the assassination, we fed them your lies, we destroyed the ship and faked capturing you, escorted you back here… And we captured the Yellow Flash. What more could there be a need for? What threat stills stands to you? The DAIMYO? He's nothing! You have the political AND military power to crush him!"

"You forget our previous promises. Our plan had been to kill one of the Leaf shinobi and so scare them away. I can't suddenly turn on the Daimyo. I have to take his power away rightfully, with the people's will. The only way I can take over this mangled country so I can fix it would be to do so with all its populace backing me. If I suddenly commit a coup d'etat and kill the Daimyo, what citizen will stand behind me? They'll all see me as a villain, a plotter, a _dictator_. I can't have that."

"What's your point?"

"I hired a team from Konoha to show that I and the Daimyo were being protected from the rebellion, so the people would not fear and would trust in their government. So they would trust _me_. Understand that while the loyalists think that the Daimyo is protected by an outside force they will become confused and could rebel against me after I've taken over. I need them to think that the Daimyo has failed them… And that _I_ am their last hope. Their white knight. Their savior. That can't be achieved if the Daimyo is being protected by Konoha. I need Konoha to _fail_ protecting him and leave me as the people's only option!"

"Then why hire Konoha in the FIRST place?!"

"Because even if I plan to get rid of the Daimyo I still need to make it look like he was the good guy in the end. The protector that failed to protect. NOT the protector who stood aside while his people were attacked! I'm on the same _side_ as him, and so people view us as the same. So I need him to be defeated valiantly, not simply struck aside. These people view shinobi in high regard, and so I planned to give him "impressive" protection that would still ultimately fail. _That's_ why I hired Konoha. _That's_ why I hired a team of Genin and filed fake reports that the rebellion could not afford shinobi. So that it would seem as an unfortunate but valiant end, else they would lose faith in the government's ability to protect itself and turn to the rebellion."

"But you are in charge of the—"

"No, that wouldn't work. I can't take the country by force, as I already explained. I've already "shown" what side I'm on, if I switch sides, then what kind of ruler would that make me look like?"

Seething, Nagenai glared.

"So what does that have to do with us?"

"I hired Genin thinking that you, who the rebellion 'should not have been able to hire', would easily obliterate them. And yet…when you're late teammate attacked, two of them held their ground for quite a while…"

"..."

"You're telling me a Jounin of Iwagakure could be worn down by two Konoha Genin, could be _held off_ by them, for as long as he did until their Jounin could arrive and kill him in an _instant?!_"

"The Yellow Flash is powerful. But I took him down, did I not?"

"That's not the point! You allowed the children to live! If they had died by your teammate's hands, or at least one of them, then perhaps Konoha would have had them return, flee! And then it would have seemed that the GOOD Daimyo was abandoned by the COWARDLY Konoha, and so unfortunately met his END!"

"Fine, then. I see your point. But if you think those kids stand a chance against us…you're horribly mistaken. We fought them on the ship! I defeated their Jounin instructor, their _teacher_. What chance do you think THEY have if I took out their own GUARDIAN?!"

"And for the record," Jisui interrupted, "I fought one of them as well. The strongest one, I would assume, as he was able to make the others to stay out of our fight. The scum was weak; I toyed with him and could have killed him had I been instructed to."

"Do you see, Doussai? Those brats aren't a threat."

"That's good to hear. Because my last request of you is to finish them off. Make sure they don't survive and do not return. I don't want them messing anything up. If they attempt anything…"

"We'll kill them in an instant."

"At last, you make some sense. Do you have any clue as to their whereabouts as of now?"

Nagenai looked at the boy, who shook his head.

"I left the one I fought alive, but with wounds… He should not have been able to go far."

"And the others…?" Doussai said anxiously.

"I wouldn't know," Nagenai said. "I wasn't paying much attention to them."

"When your men captured me…they threw the girl and my brother overboard. I would assume that that would not have killed her."

"I doubt it would. Although, Konoha is soft. I wouldn't be too surprised if they allowed a brat who couldn't survive such a fall to become a Genin."

"For your sake, I would hope so."

"Hmph."

"So two survived… What of the third? Uchiha Obito was his name. I believe his family bears a powerful reputation…"

Nagenai shook his head. "I didn't see. Even the men had no idea as to his fate…"

"He may have fallen overboard…" said Jisui.

"Perhaps. But it doesn't matter. We left the ship a wreck, there's no way they could have had any access to medical aid. If they didn't die there, then they may have crawled to the nearest city or village and probably remained there to let their wounds heal."

"No doubt they would have noticed the absence of their teacher…"

"Of course. But these are Genin. Ripe ones too, judging by their size. More than likely they would attempt to run back to Konoha and report the situation to the village than try to rescue their teacher."

"I see. Make certain that they are eliminated or have run off to their home. Once that is all taken care of, I'll give you your pay and you may return to your village. _With_ your prize, might I add."

Nagenai grinned. "And quite a prize it is…"

"May I ask, however, as to his current fate?"

"We took him to a prison and gave him a sedative that will temporarily discontinue chakra flow. He will be unable to use any of the ninjutsu he is so famous for. We also made sure he would be underfed to keep him weak."

"And where is this all being done?"

"In Hoshigawa."

"I see. Very well. Keep him under surveillance until your departure. Upon your return I will award you your pay, with _extra_ should you bear the corpses of the Genin."

Nagenai chuckled, and slowly led into a chilling laugh.

"Aye. Good to know. Come, Jisui. We have some hunting to take care of."

"Hai, Nagenai-sempai."

The Iwa shinobi exited the room.

_Such nuisances… If I had known he would be so obnoxious, I would have considered switching the roles of Konoha and Iwa… Nevertheless, it cannot be helped. I'd heard that Iwagakure shinobi had less morals and assumed they would be more helpful. From the looks of it though…the quality of the Konoha shinobi is quite a bit…higher. Not that it matters. Once those kids are done and taken care of, there'll be nothing more to stand in my way. My plan will come to fruition, and I will complete those goals I had set out to complete so long ago…_

A knock on his door interrupted his thoughts.

"Enter," he said.

A soldier entered, scarred yet ripe for war, bearing a katana with a red and blue handle and a sash bearing the symbol of one of the old shinobi clans of the River.

"Ah," Doussai said, "a messenger from Lord Gentao, I take it?"

"Hai, Doussai-sama."

_It's been awhile since I was last able to make contact with Gentao… After all, we're both busy men. Me, with the current River government and him with the affairs of the rebellion…_

"And what message does Gentao send to me today, my good sir?"

"Gentao-sama is preparing for the final move. He says his pieces are in place and merely awaits your command."

"Tell me, is he still in Kawashuuryou?"

"Hai, Doussai-sama, but he has sent trustworthy men in his place to take care of this affair. He said he had important matters to attend to before his departure."

"I see. Very well. When you return, tell Gentao-dono that he may proceed with the plan."

"Hai, Doussai-sama!"

_Almost there,_ he thought. _All that's left is to lay the trap, and wait for check-mate…_

--

**OBITO**

_Almost time,_ he thought.

In just a few minutes they would commence their infiltration, and Obito and Errai would make their way inside Kawashuuryou.

"Do you remember the plan?" He asked Errai.

The plan, that is, that Rin had explained to them upon her return one hour before. She had handed them a map and explained exactly how they would sneak into the city.

Obito couldn't wait. He was just itching to get in there and go through with the entire plot. Soon they would break Arashi-sensei out and everything would go back to normal. They'd have him to rely on again, to make the plans without a need for hesitation.

_And to get revenge on those bastards, too!_

All they had to do was wait for the sign.

Obito watched, waiting, listening. Finally, he could hear it. He turned to Errai to confirm, and saw that the guide could hear it too.

"Let's go," he whispered.

They both proceeded to jump into the river and swim against it. Obito fought hard against it and was able to push himself against the current, but Errai was having some trouble. No problem, however, as there was hardly a need to keep it going any longer.

A large ship came into view beneath the darkening fog that had chosen to appear that night. Obito waited until it passed him then allowed the current to sweep toward it. He quickly grabbed on to the stern of the ship pressed himself up against it, struggling to keep his legs from being pulled in beneath it.

On his right he heard Errai do the same, and the waited as the ship neared the wall.

Everything suddenly became a bit easier to see as the fires lit around the gate came nearer. Obito nodded to Errai, and both of them quickly dove into the water, unseen.

Under the water, Obito swam as quickly as he could, holding his breath, to the wooden walkways inside the gate. Through the surface of the water, he saw one of the guards walk over to the ship to admit it. While the guard was distracted, Obito and Errai, beneath the walkway, pushed and pulled their way against the water as they made their way inside the city.

Obito was close to letting his breath go when the wooden walkway ended and he emerged from the water. Watching the guard closely, he stealthily got out of the water and hid. Errai's head emerged after him, taking a deep breath and diving back in, waiting for Obito's signal. Obito himself watched the guard, waiting for the best opportunity. The gate guard was sideways on the deck of the ship now, and could have a good view of Errai emerging from the water.

Obito waited, hoping that Errai wouldn't need to come up for air any time soon. After half a minute, the guard turned to a call from above the wall. He turned his back to the wall, speaking to the ship's captain once again. Obito quickly signaled for Errai to get out, and motioned for him go about it quickly as he could.

The guide pulled himself out of the water and scurried over to Obito's hiding place. Obito took one last look at the guard and then motioned for Errai to lead the way, inching as far as they could from the wall.

They finally found a comfortable spot where they could talk up on the second level. Obito pulled out Rin's map, a little bit wet on the outside from the swim but altogether preserved within his zipped jacket pocket.

"Alright," he said, "Let's see…"

Errai pointed to a place on the map. "We're right here…"

Obito nodded, studying the map.

"Now…" continued Errai, "I need to meet up with Morio-san right…here." He pointed at a spot near the city harbor.

"Right," said Obito. "And I need to sneak into the barracks…right…here. Right?

Errai nodded.

"Alright, then. Operation: Infiltration – success. Operaton: Break-out Arashi-sensei, pick up Rin and Kakashi, and Get the Hell Out Of Here – begin!"

They both ducked down, seeing the shadow of a wandering civilian go by.

Errai held out his hand. "Good luck."

Obito eagerly shook it. "You too."

And they split up.

--

**KAKASHI**

Kakashi had, admittedly, been a bit surprised earlier when he had found out that Rin had beaten him to finding the rebels. Nevertheless, it had quickened their goal in the city, and within a few hours they had formulated the final version of their plan to rescue Arashi.

That's not to say that Kakashi's time wandering the streets of Kawashuuryou were for nothing! He had found the location of the city barracks, and discovered that the only prisons in the city were within its walls. That would make Obito's search that night far simpler, and hopefully would lower the chances of the idiot screwing things up.

Right now, however, Kakashi had to keep himself focused and make sure that _he_ did not screw up. A simple lie like the one he had told at the city gate had been easy to pull off. However, now, having taken the form of a wealthy merchant, Kakashi had to pull off an entire negotiation with what was probably this mission's greatest antagonist.

He glanced at Rin, at his side, once more assuming the form of his fake merchant's wife. She had explained before that when she met the man now escorting them to the rebel headquarters she had already dropped the henge and told them that she was the fake merchant's daughter. After that, it was simple to say that their daughter had been sent to their temporary hotel room for the night while they were here. And now Rin had transformed into her own mother to make it more believable that she was her own mother.

…Did that even make sense?

It was almost giving Kakashi a headache thinking about it. He felt like Obito, having trouble comprehending this whole situation with the genjutsu, but he ignored it and took in the surroundings, trying to remember how to get to where they were going. It was possible they would have to come back.

Or worse. Escape.

The man was leading to the first level of the city square, to a restaurant named "Maruko's Seafood". He stepped in, and Kakashi followed, with Rin right behind him.

_This is the hideout? Is there some hidden meeting room behind the restaurant…?_

"Excuse me for a second, my good sir," the man said, and left them to go to the other end of the room.

"This is what he did with me before," Rin whispered. "He went to talk to the bartender over there."

Just as Rin said, the man was now speaking quietly with the bartender. Kakashi, using chakra, strained his ears to hear their conversation.

"…wealthy…benefit…help…win…"

Ugh, it was useless. He could hear the other end of the room perfectly fine. However, it was the number of conversations he was picking that made it impossible to eavesdrop on the man's conversation with the bartender. He just assumed that he was explaining the situation as Kakashi had made it out to be.

Just a rich merchant wishing to pick a side, hoping to make good business by joining and funding the rebellion.

Instead of listening, Kakashi simply watched. The man said something and the bartender nodded, then their conversation ended. The man walked back over to them.

"Come," he said.

Kakashi had the urge to ask where to, but he had a feeling that the question would not be answered. The man led them through the restaurant to the bar, then back behind the bar itself. He…felt up…the wall behind the bar. Beside him, Rin looked confused, but Kakashi narrowed his eyes, realizing that the man was looking for a secret door.

_So the hideout is here after all…_

The man found what he had been looking for and pushed the door open, beckoning for them to follow. Kakashi and Rin entered, and the bartender closed the door behind them.

This room was dimly lit. Well, not much of a room. It was more of a hallway. Kakashi followed the man down the hallway and down a flight of stairs, then around to a new room. This one was a bit brighter, and was probably the only source of light for the hallway upstairs.

The man walked up to a door on the other end of the room and knocked. A slot opened behind it, revealing another man's eyes.

Their escort whispered something into the slot, and pulled open another one below. Kakashi saw him pull up his sleeve and show his arm to the lower slot, then hurriedly roll the sleeve back down. He couldn't tell what was on his arm…

The door suddenly opened, and Kakashi and Rin followed the man inside.

What he saw inside…astounded him.

He had wondered before how they had gone _downstairs_ when they were already on the city's first level. No doubt they were already below sea-level (or river-level?).

But this…

It was impossible.

"Well?" Their escort said. "Go on. It's safe."

Kakashi observed what seemed to be some sort of elevator. Only, the walls were made of glass. And outside…

It was the river. Underneath the river, actually.

He nodded, hesitant, and stepped inside, Rin following him just as hesitantly.

"You're not coming with us?" He asked the man, who did not enter.

"I'm afraid not. I have business that needs taking care of back above. Don't worry; they're already expecting you down there."

"Down there… Where exactly does this lead?" Rin asked, as the man began to close the door separating them.

"To the Kawashuuryou Underground," he said, sealing the door. "To the remains of the ancient city that existed here long before the river, Gairoshuuryou."

And their descent began.

--

**OBITO**

The city barracks weren't particularly heavily guarded.

At least, not by a shinobi's standards. For an ordinary citizen, Obito thought, sneaking in here would definitely be difficult. But for a shinobi (especially one such as himself!) it was incredibly simple.

Standing outside its gates, Obito formed the seal of the Ram and used a henge to transform into a small rat. He quickly scurried along the wall toward the open doors. There was a total of six guards outside, but Obito was sure that as long as they were looking out for any human intruders, they would fail to notice him in this rat form.

For a second, he panicked when one of them seemingly noticed him. One of the guards' eyes was wandering and fell upon Obito, but for some strange reason he let it be and did nothing. Obito wondered how many rats were inside if they were going to let him in just like that.

_Well, that was pathetically easy…_

Once inside, Obito hid behind a wall and released the henge.

_Now I have to find a way to get through this place… It'll do no good to stay as a rat, I won't be able to see inside the damn cells…_

He thought on it for a moment, then…

_Yes! That should work…_

Once again using the Ram seal, Obito transformed. This time he took the form of the guard who had seen him go inside. Smirking to himself, Obito began walking down the hallway he was in, searching for the prisons.

For such a huge city, these barracks were pretty small, in Obito's opinion. They were nothing compared to what he had seen at the River Capital. However, there was also a much stronger naval base here. Being built _on_ the damn river probably meant that Kawashuuryou's military power was probably focused on naval power. Going by the map, it seemed that the harbor was rather large. They probably did all the…barrack-y things…in the harbor, where all their ships were.

That turned Obito's thoughts to their escape… How in hell were they planning on getting out? It would be simple enough if everything went according to plan. If Obito could find Arashi and break him out without anyone noticing and Rin and Kakashi finished their negotiations without getting caught then they would probably be able to sneak back out the way that Obito and Errai had entered.

However, the chances of breaking Arashi out without anyone noticing were near impossible.

After all, he had probably been considered a powerful captive and would be heavily guarded. It was more than likely that Obito would have to put up a fight in his attempt to free the Jounin.

Moreover, there was also the issue of Rin and Kakashi's negotiations. They had assumed the forms of a merchant couple and were negotiating a benefit for them with the rebellion to funding the rebellion with their wealth and power.

As if.

Kakashi with wealth and power? Obito snickered at the idea of Kakashi being some sort of rich and powerful lord or merchant. The idea made sense giving his strict personality, but imagining the silver-haired chunin dressed fancily and walking around with a brigade of servants could only make Obito laugh.

Struggling not to laugh out loud, continued his search for the prisons. It wasn't long before he found a map on the wall of the entire barracks, and used it to attempt to navigate his way down to the prisons. Of course, it wasn't easy for him. He wasn't much for the navigation work. However, eventually, Obito managed to find the prisons.

_And_ the guards there.

"Toshimaru?" The guard asked, apparently surprised. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be outside?"

_Guess that's this guy's name…_

"Oh…yes…" was all Obito could come up with.

_Shit, what do I say? I could send him away but I need time…! Argh, no choice!_

"I was," he began, "but they sent me to relieve you. You can leave."

The other man nodded. "If that's an order, then I suppose I may as well…"

He began walking down the wall, passed Obito.

"Oh, also…" Obito said. The man turned back to him. "I would recommend you use the southern exit. There's a rat problem, see…"

Obito hoped to God that that would work. After all, he had no idea if there were other entrances to this building, let alone what direction he had come from in the first place. He was only hoping that he would manage to avoid having this guy run into the guard that he had transformed into.

Luckily, the other man nodded. "I see. Very well."

He left.

Obito sighed a great sigh of relief at having gotten rid of the other guard.

_That could've ended badly…_

Obito transformed from Toshimaru to the guard he had just spoken to and made his way inside the prisons. From the looks of it, there were very few guards at all. He saw a few and tried to avoid them, but whenever they saw him they simply nodded and let him go on. Whoever he had taken the form of, he commanded some form of respect from these guys.

Which also meant his previous transformation commanded even more respect than this guy. Strange, for a guard at the door.

Obito saw many men being held in these prison cells. There were dirty thugs, probably some muggers…who knew, maybe even a murderer? However, he also saw a few respectable-looking men who appeared to either be asleep where they sat, or meditating.

_Meditating…in a prison cell?_

No doubt, they did _not_ seem to be in the right place, but they were held captive in the cells none-the-less.

_Maybe they're prisoners of war…_

Thinking of that made Obito wonder if there was any chance he might stumble upon Doussai. However, that was very unlikely. For one, he would be even more heavily guarded than Arashi. And, of course, if he were even _in_ Kawashuuryou then he was probably somewhere in the rebellion headquarters, where he would never be found by his allies.

It was a while longer before Obito actually found anyone of interest again. Ten, maybe fifteen minutes of searching, he supposed.

But his eyes widened as he came upon the next cell.

It was a boy, just a bit older than him, sleeping in a cell. Obito couldn't make much out of him in the darkness, but he was positive that he knew who it was.

It was Hizumu Teii.

The shinobi of the rivers.

--

**KAKASHI**

As the elevator began its descent, Kakashi realized that only the top of the elevator shaft was made of glass. After that it was all stone, and as they continued on their way down everything remained in complete darkness.

Neither he nor Rin said a word. It was a rather long and slow descent, and Kakashi was sure he could, if only faintly, hear the sound of the water outside of the shaft.

This was dangerous, yet amazing at the same time.

At last, the journey down ended. A moment later, the door in front of them opened and Kakashi was blinded by the light outside.

A man wearing armor had opened the door and motioned for them to come out. Kakashi and Rin stepped out of the elevator. Despite the sudden change in lighting, it was still pretty dim in here. The walls were dark, and old, made of stone. He saw dust and spider webs covering them.

The man who opened the door motioned for them to follow him. Kakashi took in his surroundings as they turned a corner and entered the next room.

_This…!_

It was, without a doubt, the rebellion's headquarters.

Men were running about, carrying weapons, maps, papers… There were giant maps of the river country and the capital all over, files containing war strategies and tactics, and Kakashi could hear conversations revolving around the war all over the room.

The man led them across the very large room and through another door. This room was far smaller, rectangular-shaped, with one thin hallway extending out of it.

"If you have brought with you any weapons or means of protection," the man said, "now would be the time to remove them."

Kakashi wondered just how much they could hide from these people with Genjutsu. They had lost most of their weapons during the _Riverman_ attack, and so all they had now was basically a couple shuriken, an explosion tag or two, and Kakashi's chakra blade.

It wasn't much to hide.

"We have no weapons on us," Kakashi answered. "We have bodyguards in the city who are armed, but we brought none of them with us, as you can see. With one of your men escorting us here…we did not foresee a threat requiring any form of protection."

The man nodded suspiciously.

"Very well."

He sent them down the hallway, and through the last door.

The next room, also dim, was round. There were no tables or war maps, only men standing around. At the other end stood one particular man, separated from the others, in a seat on the ground. He had short black hair and a thin face, not to mention a small goatee that could almost go unnoticed.

The man stood upon their entry to the room.

"Ah," he said, "Master Rohiko."

That was the fake name Kakashi had given them.

"Welcome to Gairoshuuryou."

Kakashi bowed, motioning for Rin to do the same. They needed to get on this guy's good side if they were going to make this negotiation last long.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said, once again capturing Kakashi's attention. "I am Gentao, the Head of the River Rebellion."

Kakashi nodded, remembering the name.

"A… A pleasure to be here," he said. He looked around. Unlike the previous few rooms, there were more important-looking men here. They were all well-dressed, armed, and many bore scars. "Although…" he said, "I had no idea as to the existence of…here."

"Indeed, the Kawashuuryou Underground is not known to many, even within the city itself. It once served as the home to a criminal organization, but it has since been eradicated and this hideout has become our headquarters. There is much history here…far too much to tell of tonight. I think it would be simpler to just explain that before the Great River came to be there was a city here called Gairoshuuryou, the Road's End. It led to a canyon. However, with the coming of the River, that ancient city was drowned and only the ruins, which we now stand in, are left. Kawashuuryou was built above it."

"That is certainly an interesting story, I am sure," Kakashi said. "I would very much like to hear it whole some day."

"As would many," said Gentao. "Now, I understand that you had a…request to meet with me? One regarding…a fund for the rebellion?"

"Yes, Gentao-san," Kakashi answered. "My wife and I are interested in funding the rebellion. We believe that it is time to make a choice regarding our allegiance. We think standing with the rebellion would make…good business."

Gentao's eyes narrowed. Clearly, he understood that Kakashi wasn't talking about marketing business.

He was talking about the business of survival.

"And having your endorsement would benefit us…how, exactly?" He asked. "If you do not mind me saying, you have brought down here all of my present generals, analysts and advisors. They all are anxious to know what you have to offer."

"We have money. As I'm sure you've heard…we are a wealthy merchant family. And I've heard in many places that the rebellion is in need of more money. Enough, perhaps, to finally challenge the River royalty?"

Gentao nodded. "True enough, _we_ do not have much money on our hands as of now. And yet, we have fought through that obstacle for near ten years. Tell me, what makes you think that we need it? If we could survive this long and come this far… I do not think you are aware, but we captured a powerful man recently. It could cause the tide of this civil war to end. And in our favor."

"I was not aware," Kakashi lied. He was sure that Gentao was talking about Doussai. "However, with the added funding from us, I am sure that you could speed up the conclusion to this struggle. Perhaps even avoid more casualties?"

"Yes, I suppose that is so."

"If you don't mind me asking…" Kakashi said. "What is the nature of this man you captured? His political power?"

He may as well try to gather some valuable information while setting this distraction for Obito. And this was a way to start.

Gentao nodded. "He is a very powerful man in the River government… You could say, in fact, that he deals more with this war effort than the Daimyo himself."

Yep, that was definitely Doussai.

"And his current situation? What would you do with such a man? Keep him imprisoned?"

If Doussai was in Kawashuuryou…

Gentao observed him for a moment. Kakashi began to think he wasn't going to answer at all.

"For a man as powerful as him… Rather than keep him shut from the world we chose to use his power against the government…"

"So…he's a hostage?"

"You seem to be very interested in this man's predicament…Master Rohiko."

"I am merely intrigued as to the workings and situation of the organization with which I have chosen to aid. Or do you find me suspicious? Perhaps I would be better off taking a different stand…"

Gentao seemed a tad bit annoyed.

"I understand. He is no hostage; rather, a negotiator. We will break his spirit and force him to submit to the rebellion. And with him, we will overthrow the Daimyo politically. That would make taking the country so much more simpler."

Kakashi nodded.

"Forgetting about this man, then…" he said. "Perhaps I should be made aware of the current situation at hand? The workings of the rebellion…it would be important that I know what is being done to ensure victory."

Gentao nodded swiftly. "Yes, I suppose you are right."

Instead of continuing, however, he walked to the back of the room. He had been pacing throughout this entire conversation, but now he seemed to be relocating.

The Head of the Rebellion stared at the wall for some time and then finally turned back to them.

"As of now, we have eighteen platoons of soldiers deployed in the area surrounding the River capital, awaiting orders."

_What..?! Does that mean they're planning to…_

"We had planned for a siege, but it seems that with your help, it may appear to be simpler to capture the capital than we had planned."

"And this siege…when is it meant to take place…?"

"I have, just today, sent out the last of my captains to join those platoons. They will group together and formulate their strategy."

He turned to his fellow rebellion Heads and grinned.

"And the siege will begin tonight."

_Shit,_ Kakashi thought.

This was bad.

* * *

1: I have no clue as to the worth of ryo, so I just made that up. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Author's Notes:

This chapter actually turned out to be a hell of a lot longer than I expected, so I had to split it. I stopped it here and will finish it in the next chapter. For that reason, I changed the name of the chapter from what I had it listed as at the end of Chapter 9 (which has now been changed to fit with the new chapter title). The next chapter should be out soon; I'm hoping that my writing streak will continue and allow me to finish it by the end of the weekend.

As for the chapter itself: don't worry, everything reguarding Doussai will be made clear soon. In fact, the entire plot of this arc will be made clear in the next few chapters, so just sit tight and wait.

Anyway, I recently wrote out a chapter listing for this story and came up with a total of 60 chapters, not including the prologue and epilogue. So that means that Loser Uchiha is now officially 1/6 complete! Whoo...this is gonna take a while, eh? Anyway, some of the chapters I have planned may have to turn out short so I'm not making 60 the official number. But it should be around 60 anyway.

I've also realized something strange: I can't seem to write before dusk. Sometimes, I am able to, but usually my writing streaks occur after the sunset. I usually write between 9pm and 2am, honestly. The only exceptions are when I come near to completing a chapter during those hours but force myself to go to bed without finishing it, so I finish it upon waking up. Like right now.

Also, my opinion on the new batman movie: the Joker was amazing. Other than that, though, I think the movie was hyped up too much. I mean, sure, I had to sit on the far side of the front row, but... Eh, more importantly, I imagined an idea for another story. What if a Joker-based character came to Konoha? I like the idea, but I have no idea if I could pull it off. I could try it. What does everyone else think?

Well, that's about it. Please review!

**Chapter XI**: _The River's End_


	12. River's End

Loser Uchiha

**Chapter XI**

_River's End_

* * *

**THE LEGEND**

Hoshigawa was a small city near the River-Rain border, where the Great River officially escaped the borders of the River Country. Its long distance from the River capital made it a perfect place for the captive that they now had.

Nagenai Kotsure sighed as the castle came into view. Just on the outskirts of the city was Tsukikawa Castle, the former home of a Lord from before the time of the Five Great Countries. It was now used as a prisonhold for enemies of royalty.

Of course, their current prisoner wasn't royalty. Kazama Arashi was far from being a Daimyo, but he was not far off from being a powerful figure in Konoha. The man could probably have qualified to be more than a simple Jounin.

Which made Nagenai all the more ecstatic. He had defeated the famed Yellow Flash of Konoha, who had struck fear into the hearts of enemies that he had never even met. Nagenai was proud to say that he had personally come up with the strategy that had allowed him to defeat and capture Kazama. His brilliant strategy… He couldn't wait to return to Iwagakure with Kazama. He would be made a legend…

Perhaps even a future Kage.

The thought of it made him almost…giddy. Walking beside him, Jisui could sense the emotion that Nagenai was emitting. It was clearly making the boy nervous, seeing his normally stoic superior so…rhapsodic.

Nagenai shrugged it off. Jisui should have been just as eccentric about the situation as himself. After all, how often did one get to take credit for capturing the greatest enemy their shinobi village has ever had?

_Not often,_ Nagenai thought to himself.

When they arrived at the castle, Nagenai immediately confronted the guards with an air of great authority. The guards, recognizing the two Iwa shinobi, quickly bowed and moved aside, calling for the doors to be opened. Nagenai smirked to himself, observing the fear clearly etched upon the guards' faces.

Upon entering the castle they were immediately met with the familiar face of the Captain of the Prisonhold. Nagenai had not cared to remember his name, only his position.

The captain had immediately rushed over to them.

"Ah, master Nagenai, to…what…do I owe the pleasure?" He asked, hesitantly.

"We're on our way to Kawashuuryou and decided to take a stop and check in on our prisoner," he said, emotionlessly.

"K-Kawashuuryou? But…Hoshigawa isn't on the way there from the capital…or anywhere in River Country, for that matter…"

Nagenai ignored that statement, instead choosing to glare at the man.

"Although, I suppose it is reasonable to check in on him. Come…I'll show you to him."

On the way to the Yellow Flash's cell, Nagenai questioned the captain on the conditions under which he was being held.

"As you instructed, we have been giving him the dosage of that sedative you gave us with his daily meal. He has seemed ill since you left, probably just from the harsh treatment. Clearly in no condition to do anything threatening, I'm sure."

Nagenai nodded. "Good. He shouldn't be a problem then."

It wasn't long before the captain led them down below the ground-level to where Kazama resided. He had a small cell with no windows or any nearby…well, anything but stone. He had an entire section of the underground prisons all to himself, with guards guarding every exit of the section, the dungeons, and the entire castle.

Nagenai glanced at the seals lining the walls. His own work; if Kazama somehow attempted to escape then the walls would collapse around him. _Hopefully_ that would not kill him. But a dead Yellow flash was almost as good as an almost dead one.

He glanced down inside the cell they had come to. There, looking weaker than imaginable, lay Kazama Arashi.

Nagenai spat at him.

"Wake up," he growled. The Yellow Flash's eyes slowly opened.

Nagenai glared at the captain, who immediately understood that he was to leave and did so.

Returning his gaze to Kazama, Nagenai saw that he looked rather calm. He was weak, captured, and had lost his students. How could he look so calm and peaceful in a situation like that?

"G'morning, Kazama," he said in an amused tone. "How's our good Yellow Flash doing today?"

Their eyes met, but Kazama made no other movement. Nagenai's eyes narrowed.

"Well? Nothing to say?"

Still, no answer.

"Hmph. You seem to be quite stubborn, now. Or perhaps you are so underfed that you can no longer even speak? Conserving your energy for your great escape? Hah, don't make me laugh. You have no hope of escape. With my seals and your inability to use ninjutsu…it's hopeless, Kazama."

The bastard's eyes look at him with a lazy, uninterested expression. As if he was wondering what the point of this all was.

"Do you know what our next job is, Kazama? Before taking you back to Iwagakure…we have one final objective on our mission. Can you guess what it is?"

Apparently he could not.

"We're going to find your kids, Kazama, and dispose of them."

A hint of emotion came over the Yellow Flash's eyes, but only for a split second. Nevertheless, Nagenai caught it and chuckled.

"I see… So you are concerned for them after all? I'll tell you now…we know that they are all currently alive. Or two of them are, at the very least. But that won't be for very long now."

Kazama broke eye contact and stared at the ceiling.

Frowning, Nagenai said, "Or you do not care? Hmph, what a pathetic lot you all are. Konoha shinobi…well, we'll be rid of you all some day. No doubt about that."

Not a single change on the man's entire face… Nagenai had to give him credit. Even in the predicament he was in he was tough. No doubt too proud to let Nagenai get what he wanted.

"Come, Jisui," he said. "We're on to our next destination."

Jisui nodded. They had scoured the villages along the Great River and found no traces of the kids. Deciding that they had all survived, Nagenai had predicted their destination. The place where those kids would most likely be.

"We're going to Kawashuuryou."

--

**OBITO**

The first thing he had thought was the all-too-obvious, _What in HELL is he doing here?_

Sure, Hizumu Teii was no Arashi. But he was a friend and a potential ally nonetheless. To complete the mission…they would need help.

Also, there was the fact that Obito didn't want anything to happen to his newest friend.

Checking to see if anyone was near, Obito knelt down and slid his hand through the bars of the cell. In the form of the guard he was impersonating he was able to reach the boy.

"Yo, Teii…" he whispered. "Kid, wake up." He nudged him a bit, but the boy didn't move.

_Is he…?_

Obito gulped, not wanting to finish that train of thought. He nudged the boy again.

"Hey, ingrate, get the hell up." This time, he got a reaction. Teii stirred, slowly awakening. He turned around but the look on his face clearly spoke of disappointment at who was looking back at him.

"What do you want?" He asked angrily.

"It's me," Obito answered, dropping the henge. "It's Obito."

Teii's eyes widened and he immediately stood up. "What are you doing here? This place is dangerous!"

"Listen, I don't have time to tell you the whole story. But I'm gonna break you out of here. I just gotta figure out how…"

"How did you know…?"

"That you were here? I didn't. I'm looking for someone else. I just happened to find you instead. Now stand back…"

Obito got in a thinking pose, trying to think of a way to break the cell without causing any noise. But no matter what he thought of he simply couldn't think of a way.

_If I could somehow break the lock…_

He didn't have any kunai left to try to use as a lockpick.

_How… oh!_

If it was physically possible, a lightbulb would have appeared flashing above Obito's head as a great idea suddenly came to him.

"I'll be right back," he whispered to Teii before transforming into the Toshimaru once again. He left Teii where he was, in search of other guards. At last, he found three of them in a group, talking.

"Hey, you three," he said with a voice of authority. All three guards turned to look at him, surprised at his presence.

"I need a hand over there. Come on."

To Obito's surprise, one of them snorted.

"What for?" Asked another. "We've taken care of all the work for tonight. Otherwise we wouldn't be standing around."

The third spoke now. "And also…don't try to order us around again, Toshimaru. It's only humiliating."

Confused, Obito panicked. _I thought this guy was high up on the totem pole?! Dammit…something's not right. But I've gotta get this done anyway._

"M-my bad…" he said, "I…thought you were someone else. But still, can you give me a hand? This kid is…"

"He's being a little shit, again, is he?" Asked one of the guards. "Fine, I want to wipe that smirk of the damn brat's face anyway. But if you ever try to order me around again, Toshimaru…"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Just help me out, will you?"

_Geez_, Obito thought, _for a bunch of guards, these guys sure are touchy about rank…_

Nevertheless, the guards followed him. When they arrived back at Teii's cell, one of them turned to Obito.

"Well, what's he done?"

"Uh…" _Crap._

"Well, you see…" he began, "a rat! A rat ran after me and bit my leg! And then it ran off into this kid's cell! I think he's been training it!"

The three guards stared at him like he was an idiot. Well, in their position Obito probably would have done the same.

"Where's the mark, then?"

"Uhh…what?"

"The bite mark. Where is it? I don't see it on your leg."

"Oh, um…it's on the other leg, you fool! Now hurry up and unlock that door. I'll find the stupid rodent and you guys can do whatever you want with the kid."

None of them seemed to believe him but they all shrugged and did as he suggested. Apparently they were willing to pretend they believed that pathetic story if it gave them a chance to beat on Teii.

_Wonder why they hate him so much…oh well! It's action time!_

Being last in line to enter the small cell, Obito smirked and Spartan-kicked (1) the one closest to him, causing all three to fall forward like dominoes. Before they could yell Obito ran forward and covered two of their mouths, Teii doing the same with the last man.

"Good job," his friend said.

"I do what I can," Obito answered, grinning. Suddenly, Teii lifted the head of the man he had silenced and slammed it into the ground. The guard immediately fell unconscious. Obito looked down at his two and, hesitantly, did the same.

Five minutes later, Obito and Teii stood outside of the locked cell. They had stripped the guards of their armor and badges and made them look like a group of sleeping prisoners. Obito had made sure to steal all their keys. Those would come in handy soon, once they found Arashi.

Sneaking down the corridor, Teii asked Obito, "So what are you doing here? Where are we going?"

"We can't leave just yet," Obito answered, "We've gotta find my teacher."

"He was _captured?_" Teii asked, surprised. "I thought you said he was powerful!"

"He _is_. But…but apparently the enemy is too. And that just means that the only hope we have of succeeding in our mission is to free Arashi-sensei. Anyway, have you heard anything about an important prisoner being brought in here? You know, the guards talking about what they shouldn't be…?"

"No," Teii said, disappointing Obito. "I haven't heard anything."

"Damn," Obito breathed.

"But if you need help…"

Obito waited for Teii to finish what he was saying, interested.

"There's a lot of loyalists in these dungeons. If we can free them I'm sure they'll help out."

"Well…to do what we've gotta do…some weak soldiers won't be of much use. But for the time being, getting out of this city…yeah, I think we're gonna need them."

Teii nodded. "I know which ones they are."

"I think I do too… Let's go, we'll free them as we search."

Unfortunately, as they rounded the corner they had run into some unwelcome trouble. There were six guards standing there and all of their heads immediately turned to them as they appeared in the corridor.

"What're you doing, Toshimaru?" One of them said suspiciously. "No one is to be released. You know our orders."

"Uh…well, you see, I was giving special orders…"

"To do what, leave the front gates? I doubt it. You're worthless for anything but watching."

"Damn," Obito said, dropping the henge. There was no point in keeping the lie going.

"Hah, it's a shinobi…one of the kids we were warned about, probably."

_Warned about? They knew we would come here?_

"Get him!" One of the guards yelled, and they all suddenly sprung forward. Desperate, Obito reached for one of the only weapons he had left.

The looks on the guards' faces was precious when they saw the sudden plume of purple smoke.

--

**KAKASHI**

_This is bad…_ Kakashi echoed his thoughts from before.

Forgetting the situation with the River Capital siege…they themselves were now in trouble. This…Gentao, the leader of the rebellion, was on to them. The negotiations had gone on for a while now, and with every passing minute Kakashi could feel the rebellion head's suspicion grow.

"Might I ask, Master Rohiko," the bastard was saying, "how you came to find us here? As far as I was aware, there was no way anyone could find our location in Kawashuuryou. There was no proof, at the very least."

Kakashi thought hard for an answer. "We had heard rumors and came here hoping to seek you out. It was only luck that we found you."

Gentao's eyes narrowed. "It is more than coincidence, I believe, that you managed to make contact with us the day you had entered."

"I assure you, Gentao-san, we have been here a few days already."

"Oh? Then why do I have a report of a black-haired man, whose description matches yours easily, entering the city with his wife and a bodyguard?"

"I…"

"You come into this city, you ask to speak to me and come all this way, and yet after all that you betray my trust and hospitality? For what _purpose_, might I ask?" The man was practically growling now.

Kakashi gave up. They were screwed now.

Luckily, fate intervened.

"Gentao-sama!" A man came bursting into the room, clearly not noticing the tenseness in the air.

"What is it?" Gentao hissed.

"The barracks have been infiltrated. We found a kid attempting to free a prisoner."

Kakashi mentally smacked himself. Obito had failed.

"You've captured him, I take it?"

"Hai, Gentao-sama. We have brought him here."

Gentao nodded. "Bring him."

The man retreated to the room he had come from. In his absence, Gentao took the chance to glare at Kakashi. Less than a minute later, the man returned with a boy and a prison guard.

Kakashi's eyes narrowed.

The boy had brown hair, green eyes, and was thin. Not to mention, he was rather tall.

This was not Obito.

But regardless, Kakashi recognized him. It was the boy from the River Capital that Obito had fought with and then befriended, Hizumu Teii.

_What is _he_ doing here?_

His question unanswered in the silence within his head, Kakashi fought back against showing his relief that Obito had not been caught.

Gentao looked him over. Kakashi briefly thought he saw something slip away from Teii and scuttle away.

"You, boy, what is your name?" He questioned angrily.

"Teii," said Teii, with no hint of respect or fear whatsoever.

"And what is your purpose here?"

"I came to break out a friend of mine from the barracks, just like you heard."

"I see. Then I have no problem with this. Lock him up, we'll deal with him later. We have more important issues at hand right now."

The guards nodded, grabbing Teii's shoulders. Gentao turned back to Kakashi.

"So…" he said quietly. "Do you admit…you attempted to deceive me…?"

Kakashi didn't bother answering; he knew what was coming. Instead, he glared and dropped the illusion. Rin, confused, did the same. Gentao's anger was clearly etched upon his face. It appeared that he had recognized them.

"Weapons!" He called.

For a moment, nothing happened. Gentao's men glared and seethed. Kakashi glanced at Teii, who's guards were now smirking.

Suddenly, there was an explosion. Obito appeared out of thin air and grabbed Kakashi and Rin, running towards Teii and his 'captors', all of whom were now fleeing through the door during the sudden pandemonium.

Gentao and his men, not expecting the sudden turn of events, had flinched at the sound of the explosion and were now facing a broken wall, through which water gushed inside. Kakashi saw Obito smirk as he led them through the door Teii had come from.

"Let's go!" He yelled Rin who had turned to look and see what had caused the explosion. Hurriedly, and with enemies chasing them, they ran up the winding stairs.

"Obito, you _know_ where we are, don't you?!" Kakashi yelled.

"Yup! Don't worry, these stairs will take us all the way up! Just don't fall behind or get tired, or you'll be drowned!"

Relieved that they had escaped the tensions of that warroom successfully, Kakashi nodded and followed the Uchiha.

Since they had come down in an elevator Kakashi had no idea how far below sea-level they were. But from the looks of it, they weren't very close to the surface.

Suddenly, Obito stopped. "Keep going, I'll be right with you." He told them. Kakashi nodded, knowing what the Uchiha was going to do, and grabbed Rin. "Come _on_."

A second later, Kakashi could feel the heat of Obito's _Gougakyuu_ as it shot down the stairwell. A few seconds more and Obito was with them once again.

Soon they had reached the top and Kakashi burst through the doorway they had come to. They were on the third level of the city's square.

He was far from relieved, however, as he immediately saw what was probably a horde of rebellion soldiers coming at them. Kakashi looked to Obito, who was still smirking.

"This way!" He yelled

Kakashi followed Obito in the specified direction as enemies both soldiers from above and soldiers from below chased them. He was annoyed to see that more of them were ahead and had seen them coming and being chased.

_We'll have to fight our way through, then._

Kakashi pulled out his chakra blade and immediately attacked the soldiers ahead. They were armed only with swords and had no armor on whatsoever, clearly to remain inconspicuous.

_That's their mistake for tonight._

To Kakashi's surprise, others had joined them, fighting down the rebels and forcing their way through the city. Their new allies were armed and, as it appeared, but not overall skilled. Not as skilled as the various rebels who were attacking them.

They were slowing down, however, as the battle slowly took form. It appeared to Kakashi as if the entire city was in fighting now, between two sides. The obvious rebels who resided and what appeared to be the small number of loyalists who were present.

Strangely, he also saw many thugs and rogues fighting. He had no idea why but they were fighting on his side.

_None of this makes sense but…_

If it was going to get them out, he didn't care.

Suddenly, a rain of arrows came overhead towards Kakashi. He jumped out of the way, leaving all the others surrounding him as victims. He quickly spotted a row of archers aiming for him together, but a quick explosion from behind left nothing to be feared of them. Following the explosion Errai appeared.

"Looks like you got out alright," he said quickly.

"You know what's going on?" Kakashi asked him.

"Our escape," Errai said before pulling out a sword and swiping at the rebels, yelling. He didn't appear to have any more skill than they did, but somehow he was getting lucky and beating them.

Kakashi rejoined the fighting, cutting down whatever enemy stood in his way, kicking others out of the way and knocking them down into the water. Glancing to his side he saw Obito and Rin fighting as well as several others who appeared to be on their side.

Returning his attention to an oncoming enemy, Kakashi parried his sword thrust and kicked off the bridge they now stood on. More were coming from in front of him. Using chakra, Kakashi slid off the stone bridge and threw himself around the bottom, emerging on the other side and lashing out at his unexpecting foes. He backhanded one, stabbed another, and swept the third of off his feet. All three fell into the water below.

He sighed as another group charged at him. This time, however, he had no need to lift a finger as Obito's fireballs flew by, knocking them all off the bridge. Kakashi jumped off and landed next to the Uchiha.

"Is there any more to this plan than fighting?" He asked irritably.

"Yeah. We need to get to the harbor and meet up with Morio." Kakashi nodded. He knew where the harbor was.

Obito ran off and Kakashi looked through the battling crowds to find Rin. She was now with Errai, still fighting. Kakashi fought his way over to them.

"Come on! We've got to go!" He yelled. The two of them followed him away through the battle, trying to avoid fighting. Whenever anyone lunged at one of them, all three retaliated together and left a dead man in their path. Within minutes, they had found the harbor.

It was massive. Kakashi saw hundreds of ships lined up, and then noticed the rapids that he had seen on the map. He turned around to find Obito, Teii, and a couple other men making their way over to them. It seemed that the fighting had not yet reached this part of the city.

"What now?" Kakashi asked him irritably.

"Where's Morio?" Rin asked.

Obito made a face, apparently disappointed, but then grinned. The two of them turned and gasped (yes, even Kakashi).

A ship was making its way down the rapid. Not a galleon like the _Riverman_, but it was large enough to be called a big boat at least. Morio was at the wheel, grinning like a little kid, as he brought the ship near the docks where they stood.

"All aboard!" He called, casting down a rope. Obito was the first to jump in the water and grab on, climbing up into the ship. Everyone else followed.

A minute later, as the fighting finally arrived at the harbor, Kakashi, Obito, Rin, Errai, Morio, Teii, and the extra few men they had with them were already making their way out aboard the stolen vessel.

--

**RIN**

As soon as she climbed into the boat, Rin collapsed and sighed to herself.

"I thought that would never eeeeeeeend."

"_You're_ complaining about what _you_ had to do?" Obito laughed. "I think _our_ job was much harder."

"Well," said Kakashi, "what _did_ you do? I'm not exactly sure what just happened."

"Whaaat? The great Hatake Kakashi can't figure out our simple plan?" Obito said dramatically. Rin saw that Kakashi was about to retort but was interrupted.

"_I_ still have no idea what in hell is going on at _all_. Why are you guys even here?" Said Teii.

Errai chuckled. "Looks like none of us knows the whole story. We may as well put the puzzle together. How did your negotiations go?" He asked Kakashi.

"Horribly. I had no idea they would take us somewhere so…secluded. At first I managed to pull it off and find out an important piece of information but after that Gentao kept on questioning me and eventually caught on to what was going on."

"What did you find out?" Obito asked.

"According to Gentao…the rebellion's forces are already moving and their going to try a siege. _Tonight._"

"WHAT?" Errai yelled. "We've got to go there as soon as possible!"

"Calm down," Kakashi said. "There's no way we can make it to the capital that fast, even with a boat."

"Ship," Morio corrected him from above, still at the wheel.

"Ship, whatever."

Rin herself was not so sure that this thing could actually be called a ship. But it certainly was no dinghy, and she was thankful for that.

She stood up and faced Obito and Errai. "What happened with you guys?"

The two of them looked at each other, trying to figure out who should go first. It seemed that Obito had taken the liberty of doing so.

"Well, after I snuck into the barracks with my _brilliant_ plan, I wandered around looking for Arashi-sensei."

Those words reminded them all of their original goal tonight.

_He's not here with us…so that means he wasn't in Kawashuuryou to begin with._

Obito seemed to notice everyone as they had the same reaction Rin had. Nevertheless, he continued.

"That's when I found Teii asleep in a cell. By the way, I still have no idea why you were there…" he trailed off, looking at Teii.

"After you guys left some men came after me and said they had to ask me some questions. I tried to put up a fight and I guess they used that as an excuse. So they brought me here and threw me in a cell. I'm not exactly sure why myself."

"Sounds to me like they're trying to get rid of all the shinobi…" Errai said quietly.

"Regardless," Kakashi interrupted. "get on with it. What happened after that?"

"Well," Obito continued, "after I got him out of his cell, we got into trouble with some guards. I used my last smoke bomb to get away and we escaped from the barracks and met up with Errai-san. He said that they'd taken you into some hidden hideout beneath the river."

"Wait, how did you know it was beneath the river?" Rin asked.

"During the day, Morio found some loyalists hiding out in the city. That's who these guys are," Errai motioned to the men that Rin did not recognize, all of whom nodded. "They're all soldiers who had been sent here by the Daimyo to investigate the city as a potential rebellion headquarters. Their platoon was attacked, though, and they were the only survivors. They hid out for a while. The only way they could stay out of trouble, though, was to blend in with the, uh…well, the criminals of the city."

"So together, we came up with a plan to get you guys out," said Obito. "These guys said they knew a way down into the Kawashuuryou Underground, or whatever it is. Me and Teii went back to the barracks. He caused a distraction and then escaped while I went around with the keys I stole and freed all the prisoners. They didn't need my help to start a riot. Anyway, after that I transformed into a rat and stowed away on Teii as these two guys," he pointed at two of the soldiers, "pretended to be guards who captured him."

"Then I scurried away from Teii, set my last explosion tag up, and you saw the rest."

"So…" Kakashi said, "you freed all the prisoners in the barracks, and that's what caused all the fighting?"

"Yeah. It caused a distraction up above ground while we were down there rescuing you guys, so no one could stop us. And when we got back up it made it all the more harder for the rebels to stop us from escaping."

"And throughout that entire time Morio-san was here getting ready to steal this boat," Errai finished.

"Ship!"

"Ship, sorry."

"So…now what?" Rin asked. Kakashi answered immediately.

"We sail back to the capital. We failed to find Arashi, so now we have no choice to complete the mission without him."

"Are you kidding?!" Obito yelled. "Without Arashi-sensei we have no hope of completing the mission!"

"Uh…before you guys argue any more…" said one of the soldiers, "we've got a problem to deal with."

All three shinobi turned to see what the man was pointing at and saw several ships following them from Kawashuuryou.

"Don't worry!" Yelled Morio from above. "This is where we make our great escape!"

Rin looked out at the water as the ship swerved to the side. The current was getting stronger and they were speeding up.

_We're gonna make it! We're smaller and faster, we'll get away from them easily! Great going, Morio-san!_

Turning back, however, she saw that Errai's eyes had widened. He ran up to the wheel looking incredibly panicked.

"What in hell are you THINKING, you fool?!" He yelled at Morio.

"I'm getting us out of here."

"Yes, but not for long! You're going to get us all KILLED!"

"What's going on?" Asked Obito.

Rin's eyes widened as well, realizing what was happening. Suddenly, she realized. Why there only an entrance to the city on one side. Why the current had sped up. Why the rapids were in the harbor to stop the current from pulling ships in the wrong direction.

And most importantly…

Why the city was named 'River's End'.

She ran off to the side of the ship and looked out. In the darkness she couldn't see anything but she could hear it now.

A waterfall.

"Get ready!" Yelled Morio, echoing Captain Kisoto's creepy laugh. "Everyone grab on to the ship!"

Thinking quickly, Rin used her chakra scalpel to cut apart a rope from the tiny mast of the boat (ship!) and pulled out the sword she had purchased at the River Capital shinobi store, tying them together.

"Everyone, GRAB!" She yelled, tossing the rope out to the others.

As the boat went over the edge of the waterfall, Rin, using chakra, hurled her makeshift grappling hook at the wall of the canyon at the end of the Great River.

--

**THE DEFEATED MAN**

He stood upon the tallest tower of the ruined castle, looking out to the south. There, miles upon miles away, was his destination.

Despite his enemy's words, he had escaped. Despite his enemy's words, he was fighting to save them. Despite his enemy's words, he was going to win in the end of it all.

And so the defeated man jumped down and took his leave of Tsukikawa castle.

--

**KAKASHI**

_That was close,_ Kakashi thought as he held on to the rope.

Currently, the five of them that had managed to grab on to the rope were hanging in the darkness of the night air, all contemplating the fate they had just barely avoided.

Kakashi looked down. In front of him was Rin, but behind…he had not been sure who else exactly was there. Below, he saw Obito, Errai, and Teii.

No one else.

He sighed, looking down below at the water, at the fate of the four others that had been with them. Morio and three loyalist soldiers had tumbled down, most likely to their deaths. It seemed that Morio had done his part, avenging his captain, and had now chosen death. Killed by the river. It was a fitting end, Kakashi supposed, for a man like him. In any case, he had chosen it.

He couldn't say the same for the soldiers, however. They were just unlucky. Either they were being swept away by the waters below or they had died. Kakashi couldn't tell for sure, but it seemed that there were jagged rocks down there that would most likely kill upon impact.

How cliché.

_Now what?_

They couldn't just remain there, hanging. Eventually one of them would lose their strength completely and let go, causing anyone below them to fall. That is, if their combined weight didn't cause the makeshift grappling hook to break apart and throw them all down to their deaths. Glancing up, Kakashi saw that the sword Rin had used was embedded deep inside the canyon wall. He had no idea why she had it or when she had gotten it but it seemed as if it had saved their lives today.

Sighing, Kakashi tried to think of some way to get out of this situation. They weren't that far below from the edge of the wall. But there was still no way they would all be able to climb up there; it was impossible to scale it.

It was possible, perhaps, to use chakra. But Kakashi only knew for a fact that he himself possessed that skill. Rin, being a medic, possessed astounding chakra control and would most likely be able to grasp the skill immediately. He couldn't be sure about Obito, Errai, and Teii, though.

He did have a different idea, however,

Slowly, spreading chakra to his hands and feet, Kakashi let go of the rope and scaled the wall. He felt everyone else's eyes following him.

"Where you going?" Obito asked, finally.

"I'm looking for something," he answered. Slowly, Kakashi scaled his way sideways, until he was under the force of the water. There was enough to space to crawl through, and Kakashi slowly made his way down until he finally found what he was looking for.

_How cliché, indeed._

There was a cave hidden behind the waterfall. Kakashi pulled himself in and felt around. It was big enough to house them all, for the time being. At least until they got some rest and figured out what they were going to do.

He slowly made his way back to the others, having formulated a plan to get anyone who couldn't scale the wall down to the cave.

"Did you find what you were looking for?" Obito asked, annoyed.

"Yeah. Rin, Obito, can you guys do this? Scale the wall with chakra?"

Surprisingly, it was Obito who nodded immediately and Rin who looked unsure.

_Who would've thought…_

"Alright, Obito, get over here. Rin, it's not hard. With the chakra control required to be a medic…this should be rather simple for you."

The girl nodded and followed Obito over to where Kakashi was. She seemed nervous but nevertheless was holding on.

"Hey, what about us?" Asked an annoyed Teii.

"Don't worry; I've got an idea. Rin, Obito, keep going under the waterfall. There's a cave there."

The two of them nodded and began making their way down to the cave. Kakashi slid down until he was next to Teii. Grabbing the end of the rope, he said, "Keep a tight grip."

With that, he began pulling the rope and making his way back up to the cave. He turned back to see how Teii and Errai were holding up with it. As the rope became horizontal, they had let go with their legs and were now holding on only with their hands. Both were watching him, hesitant. There was clearly fear in their eyes of what should happen if Kakashi couldn't get them to the cave.

Nevertheless, Kakashi continued pulling the rope over with him until he reached the cave. When he got there Obito helped him get in and pull the rope as far as possible. It just barely reached. Kakashi pulled out his chakra blade and tied it the rope to it and then stabbed it into the wall of the cave. Carefully, he tugged on the rope to see if it would stay.

It did. Kakashi called out to Teii and Errai. "You guys can climb. The rope's secure on our end. Just make your way over here."

Turning to Obito, he said, "Help me hold it, just in case." The Uchiha nodded, and together they held the rope down until Errai and Teii arrived and slid into the cave.

"Wow, its pretty big," said Errai.

"We can rest here for tonight," said Kakashi. "And in the morning we'll figure out how to get out of here. But for now, we need to figure out what we're going to do next."

Errai looked at him like he was stupid. "Isn't it obvious? We head back to the River Capital!"

"You know we have no hope of stopping the siege. It'll be over long before we arrive."

"But still, we have to. And Doussai might be there. Isn't that your mission? The one that you're so bent on completing? To protect him?"

"Yes, it is. And I admit, our only objective in coming here was to rescue Arashi so he could help us complete that mission. Without him…we just have to move forward by ourselves."

He looked at the rest of the group. "Is it decided then? We head back to the River Capital."

"I don't know…" said Obito. "Isn't that a bit…out of our league?"

"Yeah," Rin agreed. "I mean, do we have any hope of success? If Arashi-sensei couldn't beat the enemy…then we have no hope."

"Regardless, we have to try. That's our job as shinobi. We complete the mission or die trying. And I'm intending to do just that."

Rin and Obito both looked a bit shaken by the idea, but ultimately they both conceded and agreed to go through with it. It was their first true mission, after all.

The others nodded. "I'll take the first watch, then. You all get to sleep." He said, and watched as everyone else quickly fell asleep.

_What a long day…_

--

**THE HUNTER**

The roar of the waterfall was powerful, Nagenai thought to himself.

Upon arriving in Kawashuuryou, he and Jisui had found that the city was in the middle of a riot. It seemed that the prisoners in the barracks had all been released and were fighting for freedom against the people of the city.

The people of the rebellion, too.

After meeting with Gentao they discovered that it had all been caused those damn kids. They infiltrated the city, broken into the barracks and released all the prisoners, and tricked the rebel Heads into meeting with them after transforming into a group of merchants. Not only that, but they had completely destroyed the Kawashuuryou Underground, which had long served as the rebellion's headquarters. Hundreds of men were dead because of that, along with all the materials and weapons that had been kept down there.

And after all that, they had stolen a ship and escaped the city. No doubt _this_ was why Doussai had wanted Nagenai to kill the Genin.

_God damn. That bastard isn't gonna let me hear the end of this._

Fortunately, in their desperate escape, the Leaf Genin and their allies had turned their ship around to the other side of the city and sailed with the current, which had led them to the waterfall that marked the abrupt end of the Great River. Most likely they were dead now.

It was late afternoon and Gentao had just led them to that waterfall.

"So you're _positive_ that they're dead?" He asked the leader of the rebellion. "If they're not, Doussai's gonna have my head."

NOT that there was any chance that Doussai could do anything to him.

"I'm sure of it. There's jagged rocks down there that'll kill instantly upon impact. It's impossible for them to have survived."

"I see. I'll go report this to Doussai-sama, then."

"Very well. How did the plan go?"

"Perfectly according to plan, as I have been informed. The plan itself is nearing its end. There's just a few small matters left to be dealt with before the River Country officially makes Doussai its new leader."

"Good. Everything we have worked toward for all this time…finally coming to an end. I never thought I'd see the day."

"Well you're seeing it now, aren't you?"

"I suppose so."

"If that's it, then, we'll take our leave. Killing those kids was our objective. Since you're so sure that they're dead Jisui and I may return to the capital and get our payment."

Gentao nodded. "Go, then."

With that, Nagenai and Jisui began on their way back to the River Capital.

* * *

1) Obito's most pwnsome technique! The SPARTAN KICK!

Author's Notes:

I give credit to Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End for inspiring a lot of this chapter. However, there will probably be no more pirates-inspired anything in this story.

Not much else to say. Hope you enjoyed this chapter, seeing as I won't be updating for a while. I'm going back to Shinigami no Nara for a while now. If you're bored and you haven't done so already, then check it out and see if you like it. It's a crossover of Naruto and Death Note, but you don't have to have watched Death Note to read it.

**Chapter XII:** _The Daimyo's Tower_


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